ED  CAPTIVE. 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


1 


- 


I 


THE  NEW  AGRICULTURE: 


OB, 


THE  WATERS  LED  CAPTIVE, 


BY 


.A..  2tf.  OOLE, 


ILLUSTRATED. 


1885. 

THE  AMERICAN  ANGLER. 
NEW  YOJiK. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1885,  by 

WILLIAM  C.  HAKKIS, 
in  the  office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


DEDICATION. 


Thin  volume  is  respectfully  dedicated  to  Dr.  J.  H.  VINCENT,  of  Plainfleld,  New  Jersey. 

A.  N.  COLE. 
HOME  ON  THE  HILLSIDE,  X.  Y.,  October  1st,  1886. 


PUBLISHEES'  ANNOUNCEMENT. 


In  announcing  the  publication  of  this  book  the  publishers  would 
state  that  the  claims  of  the  author  in  behalf  of  his  discoveries  and 
methods  seemed,  when  first  presented  to  our  attention,  well  nigh 
incredible.  It  was  not  until  after  a  personal  examination,  at  the 
"  Home  on  the  Hillside,"  of  Mr.  Cole's  system  of  cultivation  and  an 
inspection  of  some  of  the  wonderful  resultant  products,  that  we 
became  thoroughly  convinced  that  he  has  practically  substantiated 
the  claims  set  forth  in  this  volume. 

He  could  not  have  selected  a  more  unpromising  piece  of  land  for 
testing  the  merits  of  "  The  New  Agriculture."  It  was  a  steep  and 
sterile  hillside  of  Allegany  hardpan,  thinly  covered  with  a  soil, 
which  was  surface-washed  and  gullied  by  heavy  rains  and  sun-baked 
in  dry  weather. 

His  sj'stem  of  culture  based  upon  underground  irrigation  and 
fertilization  maintained  constantly  and  uniformly  the  year  around 
by  means  of  his  own  devising,  after  thirty  years  of  investigation 
and  study,  has  transferred  this  waste  of  ground,  which  nobody 
thought  could  be  made  profitably  productive,  into,  comparatively 
speaking,  a  Garden  of  Eden.  He  simply  makes  "  The  New  Agri- 
culture "  a  willing  Handmaid  to  Nature.  He  gathers  and  conserves 
in  his  trenches  or  subterranean  reservoirs  all  the  waters  from  dews, 
rains  and  melting  snows,  which,  after  equable  filtration  through 
the  soil,  are  released  at  the  foot  of  the  slope  in  a  never-failing  stream 
of  pure  water  at  spring  temperature.  It  would  seem  that  not  more 
than  one-fifth  of  this  fertilizing  moisture  is  absorbed  by  a  maximum 
crop.  Fungus,  that  deadly  foe  to  root  growth,  is  completely  elim- 
inated. Drouth  is  forestalled  and  the  ground  in  winter  no  more 


freezes  than  around  a  natural  spring.     The  producing  season  in 
that  latitude  is  elongated  from  forty  to  sixty  days. 

As  to  the  expense  of  the  new  tillage,  the  improvement  of  the  land 
in  productiveness  and  the  economies  of  the  system  in  all  ways,  largely 
dispensing  with  the  cost  of  plowing,  spading  and  weeding  and  the  use 
of  expensive  manures,  turn  every  dollar  of  outlay  into  five  at  least 
in  a  short  space  of  time.  In  a  word,  the  roots  of  trees,  shrubs 
and  plants  are  constantly  supplied,  but  never  in  surfeit,  with  the 
amount  of  moisture  needed  for  their  healthy  and  rapid  growth  and 
for  the  perfect  development  of  leaf,  bud,  flower  and  fruit.  These 
magnificent  results  are  not,  with  us,  matters  of  conjecture,  nor  have 
they  been  accepted  without  personal  and  careful  inspection  at 
Father  Cole's  "  Home  on  the  Hillside." 

WM.  C.  HARRIS. 

H.  H.  THOMPSON. 


CONTENTS. 


Page. 

THK  LIFE  OF  A.  N.  COLE.    BY  HON.  JOHN  H.  SELKHEG 11-  H 

CHAPTER       I. — THE  DISCOVERY,  DEVELOPMENT  AND  PUBLICATION  OF  THE  NEW 

AGRICULTURE  TO  THE  WORLD 16-  81 

CHAPTKB      II. — CIRCULATION  OF  WATER  ON  LAND — THE  WONDERFUL  HESILLA..  82-  99 
CHAPTER    III. — DESCRIPTION   OF   THE   NEW   SYSTEM — "HOME   ON   THE    HILL- 
SIDE "—THE  HOT  WATER  SYSTEM 100-110 

CHAPTEH     IV. — PRACTICAL  RESULTS  OF  THE  NEW  SYSTEM 111-134 

CHAPTER  V. — THE  INFLUENCE  OF  THE  NEW  AGRICULTURE  UPON  THE  HEALTH 
OF  MAN  AND  DOMESTIC  ANIMALS — COMMUNICATION  FROM  THK 
HON.  JOHN  SWINBURNE — THK  BANE  OF  FUNGUS  BY  PROFESSOR 

C.  B,  EAKLEY 135-170 

CHAPTER     71. — RECLAIMING  THE  GREAT  AMERICAN  DESERT 171-178 

CHAPTER  VII. — THE  EXPENSE  OF  THE  NEW  SYSTEM 179-180 

CHAPTER VIII. — 1850 — 1885.     "THE  HOME  ON  THE  HILLSIDE"  THEN  AND  Now..  189-206 
CHAPTER     IX. — MANURING  UNDER  THE  NEW  SYSTEM— THE  AMERICAN  POMOLOG- 

ICAL    SOCHETT— A    WELCOMF.    FOR  ALL  AT  THE    "HOME   ON     THK 
HliLBIDE  "...  207-223 


ILLUSTEATIONS. 


Page. 

PORTRAIT  OF  THE  AUTHOR FRONTISPIECE. 

BASS-WOOD  COTTAGE 23 

••  Tax  HOME  ON  THE  HILLSIDE  " 45 

THE  OLD  APPLE  TREE 63 

SINGLE  PLUM,  NATURAL  SIZE 75 

GROUP  OF  PLUMS,  NATURAL  SIZE 85 

DIAGRAMS  OF  THE  NEW  SYSTEM 103 

THE  STRAWBERRY  BOUQUET 125 

STRAWBERRY,  NATURAL  SIZE : 13i> 

DIAGRAM  OF  INFECTED  STABLES  AND  OUTHOUSES 155 

GROUP  OF  PEAS 175 

SINGLE  TOMATO  PLANT 181 

TRELLIS  OF  TOMATOES 187 

SINGLE  TOMATO,  NATURAL  SIZE 193 

SPECIMENS  OF  APPLES,  NATURAL  SIZE,  FROM  OLD  APPLK  TREE 199 

QUINCE,  NATURAL  SIZE 209 


THE  LIFE   OF  A.   N.  COLE. 


The  life  of  the  author  of  this  book  has  been  an  eventful  one  and  into  it  has  been  crowded 
far  more  than  can  be  found  in  that  of  ordinary  public  men.  Knowing  this  and  deeming  a 
brief  biographical  sketch  of  Mr.  Cole  would  be  of  interest  to  the  general  reader,  the  following 
has  been  prepared  from  memorandums  procured  from  him  and  from  others  who  have  held 
intimate  acquaintance  with  him  during  his  life. 

Asahel  N.  Cole  was  born  on  the  15th  of  October,  1821,  in  the  town  of  Freedom,  Cattaraugus 
County,  N.  Y.,  and  ia  therefore  64  years  of  age  at  date  of  the  appearance  of  this  volume.  His 
father,  Daniel  Cole,  was  a  descendant  from  the  family  settling  Cole's  Hill,  at  Plymouth,  Mass., 
and  his  mother,  of  maiden  name  Joanna  Williams,  was  a  lineal  descendant  of  Roger  Williams, 
of  Rhode  Island. 

Enjoying  a  very  retentive  memory  and  possessed  of  an  exceedingly  active  mind,  it  is  not  to 
be  wondered  at  that  Mr.  Cole  has  made  his  mark  in  political  and  other  circles,  and  was  con- 
nected with  large  enterprises,  which  commenced  by  him  were  before  completion  appropriated 
by  others  who  enjoy  the  fruits  of  growth  planted  by  his  hand. 

When  but  four  and  a  half  years  old  the  father  and  mother  of  the  author  died.  Thus  thrown 
upon  his  own  resources,  he  early  commenced  the  "  battle  of  life,"  and  even  now  when  above 
three  score  he  has  all  the  energy  of  youth  and  the  fire  of  mature  manhood  in  his  nature. 

He  was  adopted  by  foster  parents  residing  at  Pike,  at  that  time  part  of  Allegany,  now  Wyom- 
ing County,  N.  Y.  TTp  to  the  age  of  sixteen,  when  his  foster  father  died,  he  had  received  the 
barest  elements  of  a  common  school  education.  Starting  out  he  sought  employment  as  best 
he  might  in  canvassing  the  state  of  Ohio  for  an  agricultural  and  horticultural  publication  en- 
titled the  BUCKEYE  PLOUGHBOY,  published  at  Cleveland.  His  early  study  of  odd  numbers  of 
this  little  monthly  and  Poor  Richard's  Almanac  beyond  doubt  had  much  to  do  with  the  impor- 
tant discoveries  net  forth  in  this  volume. 

The  year  1839  was  spent  in  Michigan,  our  author  having  by  this  time  gained,  through  his 
limited  studies,  sufficient  knowledge  to  commence  teaching  school,  which  he  continued 
to  do  until  the  year  1844,  and  then  deciding  to  abandon  his  plans  of  becoming  a  minister  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  for  which  he  had  prepared  himself,  he  turned  merchant  and 
lumberman,  working  hard  in  the  woods  for  a  livelihood. 

Divisions  in  the  Methodist  Church,  growing  out  of  the  issues  of  slavery  and  anti-slavery, 
were  the  occasion  of  this  new  departure.  Young  Cole,  interesting  himself  in  politics,  became 
an  ardent  Free  Boiler,  and,  having  patrons  in  the  persons  of  Gerrit  Smith  and  James  8.  Wads- 
worth,  both  large  landowners  in  the  timbered  sections  of  Allegany  County,  bis  acquaintance 
and  agreement  with  them  politically  brought,  not  ouly  the  gentlemen  above  named  but  many 
others,  leaders  of  the  free  soil  movement,  to  the  side  of  a  man  from  ten  to  twenty  years 


12  LIFE   OF   A.    N.    COLE. 

younger  than  themselves.  When  the  revolutionary  period  of  1848  was  reached,  and  A.  N.  Cole 
was  but  twenty-seven  years  of  age,  he  was  better  known  by,  and  more  closely  linked  with, 
Joshua  R.  Giddings,  Gerrit  Smith,  James  8.  Wadsworth,  William  H.  Seward,  Charles  Sumner, 
Salmon  P.  Chase,  John  P.  Hale,  John  Van  Buren  and  others  of  like  political  affinities,  than  any 
man  of  his  age  in  America. 

What  made  him  especially  a  most  important  factor  in  the  politics  of  the  period  was  his  close 
attachment  to  and  alliance  with  Horace  Greeley,  whose  acquaintance  he  formed  so  early  as 
1843.  Mr.  Cole  became  the  trusted  personal,  private  and  confidential  correspondent  of  this 
great  journalist,  and  thus  remained  to  the  close  of  Mr.  Greeley 's  life  in  1872. 

In  the  meantime  Mr.  Cole  had,  so  early  as  1852,  assisted  by  General  James  S.  Wadsworth,  es- 
tablished the  GENESEE  VALLEY  FBEE  PKESS  as  a  Republican  paper  at  his  home  in  Allegany 
County.  In  the  columns  of  this,  the  pioneer  Republican  newspaper  of  the  country,  appeared 
the  first  call  for  a  convention  to  organize  the  Republican  party.  This  convention  met  at 
Friendship,  N.  Y.,  in  May,  1854,  and  dates  the  birth  of  the  Republican  party,  though  the  town 
of  Angelica,  N.  Y.,  succeeded  in  1884  in  establishing  her  birthright  by  showing  that  the  first  con- 
vention called  for  nominating  candidates  convened  at  that  place  about  the  middle  of  October, 
1854.  The  celebration  of  the  birth  of  the  party  took  place  at  Angelica  just  before  last  fall's 
(1884)  election.  A.  N.  Cole  presided,  having  been  for  years  acknowledged  and  recognized  as  the 
Father  of  the  Republican  Party. 

It  Is  not  however,  in  politics  or  public  life  where  Mr.  Cole  has  won  his  proudest  laurels. 
He  never  held  but  one  important  public  trust,  that  of  readjuster  or  reassessor  of  income  taxes 
in  the  Second  district  of  Brooklyn  for  a  period  of  about  one  year  of  the  first  term  of  President 
Grant,  receiving  his  appointment  from  Secretary  Boutwell.  Mr.  Cole  held  court  in  revenue 
cases  with  such  energy,  force  and  knowledge  of  the  revenue  laws  as  to  gain  his  admittance  to 
practice  in  all  the  courts  of  the  state,  receiving  his  diploma  at  a  general  term  of  court  held  at 
Poughkeepsie  in  May,  1868,  Before  this,  however,  he  had  been  waited  upon  by  the  solid  New 
York  delegation  of  Republican  Senators  and  Members  of  Congress  from  the  State  of  New  York 
for  appointment  to  the  office  of  Internal  Revenue  Supervisor  for  the  Metropolitan  District,  but 
President  Johnson  interposing  objections  the  Hon.  Silas  B.  Dutcher  received  the  appointment. 

Tip  to  this  period  Mr.  Cole  had  only  been  known  as  a  journalist  of  wide  influence,  bnt  he  had 
also  won  laurels  without  number  at  Albany  for  his  advocacy  of  measures  for  improvement  of 
the  cities  of  New  Yori  and  Brooklyn,  and  as  early  as  1877  saw  carried  through  the  experiment 
in  Greenwich  Street  testing  the  question  of  practicability  of  the  elevated  railroad  system  as 
now  in  operation  in  the  metropolis.  General  John  A.  Dix  and  the  Hon.  S.  L.  M.  Barlow,  asso- 
ciated with  others,  employed  Mr.  Cole  as  advocate  and  attorney,  breaking  the  powerful  combi- 
nations of  opposing  interests  to  the  system  of  rapid  transit  now  existing. 

The  energy  and  earnestness  of  Mr.  Cole  up  to  this  period  had  produced  a  marked  impression 
on  the  public,  and  he  was  recognized  as  the  trusted  and  confidential  friend  of  the  highest  officials 
in  national  and  state  governments.  He  was  selected  to  have  charge  of  the  bill  reorganizing  the 
Erie  Railway,  which  when  perfected  and  passed  saved  that  great  work  from  wreck  and  ruin. 

Governor  Cornell  in  1880  signed  the  bill  granting  to  a  company  to  be  organized,  the  aban- 
doned Genesee  Valley  Canal  for  railroad  purposes.  This  achievement  came  of  seven 


LIFE   OF   A.    N.    COLE.  13 

years  of  persistent  labor  on  the  part  of  Mr.  Cole,  saving  to  the  population  of  the  Gene- 
see  Valley  a  magnificent  property  otherwise  lost.  The  syndicate  finally  securing  the  grant, 
mortgaged  it  for  two  millions  of  dollars,  while  the  solitary  individual  (A.  N.  Cole)  who  practi- 
cally did  the  work  secured  a  merest  fraction  of  the  amount  for  labor  and  expense  in  securing 
the  grant.  Twice  in  his  life  the  author  of  the  New  Agriculture,  worked  down  and  out,  has 
succumbed  for  a  few  months  at  a  time,  and  hia  work  has  seemed  at  an  end,  the  tax  upon  his 
energies  being  such  as  to  apparently  break  him  down. 

About  four  years  ago  his  neighbors  were  astonished  by  the  growth  of  fruits  and  vegetables 
of  marveloxis  size,  beauty,  profusion  and  perfection  upon  his  grounds.  He  was  understood  at 
first  as  making  experiments  in  under  drainage,  nor  did  his  nearest  neighbors  and  most  inti- 
mate friends  have  an  intelligent  conception  of  the  methods  under  which  he  was  proceeding — 
those  of  subsurface,  subterranean  or  underground  irrigation,  better  known  as  "  The  New  Agri- 
culture." 

And  so  it  is  that,  to  a  man  who  never  had  to  exceed  three  years  of  education  at  school,  has 
been  left  the  discovery  of  the  fundamental  laws  governing  the  movements  of  the  waters  upon 
and  beneath  the  soil,  which  the  writer  of  this  brief  biography,  the  publishers  of  this  volume 
and  many  others  who  have  visited  "The  Home  on  the  Hillside  "  unite  in  believing  will  effect 
a  revolution  in  the  present  systems  of  agriculture.  J.  H.  SELKREO. 

ITHACA.  N.  Y..  October  15,  1885. 


CHAPTER  I. 


THE  DISCOVERT,  DEVELOPMENT  AND  PUBLICATION  OF  "  THE  NEW  AGRICULTURE 

TO    THE   WORLD. 


That  there  is  a  divinity  shaping  the  ends  of  mortals,  the  author 
of  this  volume  deems  a  certainty.  In  no  other  way  is  it  possible  to 
account  for  the  inevitable.  Solomon  had  it  right  when  he  said  : 
"  There  is  a  time  for  all  things  under  the  sun."  The  time  would 
seem  to  have  come  when  the  waters  may  be  so  controlled,  as  to 
pass  them  through  soils,  rather  than  allow  them,  as  hitherto,  to  find 
their  way  from  summits  to  plains  and  valleys  along  their  surfaces. 
What  has  been  done  by  the  individual  in  this  respect,  is  to  be  done 
ere  long  by  the  multitude.  The  immensity  of  such  an  undertak- 
ing, is  calculated  to  discourage,  at  first,  the  bravest  and  most  hope- 
ful. The  Chinese  wall,  the  pyramids  and  other  evidences,  all  along 
the  track  of  time,  indicate  that  great  undertakings  have  only  to  be 
persevered  in,  and  the  end  is  ultimately  reached. 

Were  every  farmer  or  land-holder  having  lands  situated  on  hill- 
sides, slopes  and  inclines,  to  put  but  a  single  acre  in  condition  to 


16  THE   XEW   AGRICULTURE. 

gatlier  in,  house,  husband,  handle  and  control  the  waters  falling 
down  during  the  year,  such  would  be  the  scene  of  transformation, 
as  to  make  an  end  of  hesitation  and  doubt.  Could  a  model  acre  be 
shown  in  each  county  of  every  state  and  territory  of  our  Union,  a 
decade  would  not  pass  before  spades  would  everywhere  be  found 
to  be  trumps,  and  such  would  be  the  multiplication  of  means  for 
holding  and  handling  the  waters,  as  to  result  within  a  single  gen- 
eration, to  an  approach  to  transformation  of  the  earth's  surface. 

Upon  the  author  of  this  volume  has  devolved  the  work  of  making 
a  beginning.  As  things  look  at  this  time  of  writing  it  seems  prob- 
able, that  by  the  tenth  of  July,  1885,  two  acres  of  a  model  five  un- 
der treatment,  will  be  in  condition  to  show  what  can  be  done  to 
control  and  use  the  waters  for  purposes  of  agriculture  and  horti- 
culture. Not  under  three  years,  however,  will  our  model  five  acres 
be  so  perfected,  as  to  make  a  complete  demonstration  of  anything 
like  the  utmost  possibilities.  How  it  has  all  occurred  that  the  au- 
thor has  been  the  one  to  find  out  the  way,  and  seeking  and  finding, 
to  lead  the  van  of  this,  one  of  the  greatest  of  works  yet  devolved 
upon  man,  will  be  understood  as  the  story  is  told  of  a  lifetime 
spent  in  following  the  waters.  I  was  eight  years  of  age  when  I 
read  in  "  Poor  Richard's  Almanac"  that  : 

"  If  the  farmer  or  gardener  would  know  the  difference  in  fruit- 
age, between  a  tree  left  to  turf  about  its  roots,  and  one  where  the 
soil  is  loosened,  let  him  try  the  experiment." 

In  our  garden  were  plum  trees  bearing,  to  a  most  gratifying  de- 
gree. These  were  on  rich  soil,  with  wash  from  the  barnyard.  Bait 
for  trout-fishing  was  here  obtained  ;  the  angle  or  earth-worm,  in 
abundance.  To  loosen  the  soil  about  the  roots  of  these  trees,  be- 
came correspondingly  a  pastime  and  profit.  That  the  plums  would 
grow  larger,  and  their  flavor  be  improved,  Dr.  Franklin  had  said, 
and  of  course  he  knew.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  the  loosening  seemed 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  17 

to  call  for  a  pushing  away  at  the  trunks,  till  their  roots  took  only 
weak  hold  in  the  ground.  It  was,  if  we  recollect,  in  the  spring  of 
1829,  when  we  were  scarcely  nine  years  of  age,  that  the  trees  thus 
treated,  refused  to  put  out  bud  or  blossom,  nor  so  much  as  gave 
evidence  of  life.  From  that  hour,  losing  faith  in  Poor  Richard's 
Almanac,  we  followed  thereafter  our  own  inclination  and  methods. 
How  many  were  the  plants  taken  up  and  put  back  into  their  own 
or  new  places  we  cannot  now  say.  To  examine  their  roots,  and  find 
out  their  ways  of  germination,  became  a  passion.  Nothing  so  dis- 
turbed us  as  the  wrong  end  up  in  which  the  beans  came  out  of  the 
ground.  Why  again  should  the  potatoes  grow  beneath  the  soil, 
and  the  balls  upon  the  tops  of  the  vines,  was  a  puzzle  to  us.  Peas 
the  fourth  of  July,  and  cucumbers  the  middle  of  that  month,  with 
which  to  give  keener  relish  for  our  trout,  was  an  ever  yearning  am- 
bition. 

We  think  it  was  at  about  the  age  of  twelve,  when  we  came  across 
a  newspaper  mention  of  an  experiment  which  we  decided  to  forth vnitij. 
make.  This  was  one  with  which  nearly  everybody  has  become 
familiar  ;  that  of  a  tight  barrel  set  on  end,  and  filled  with  round 
stones  so  far  up  as  the  open  bung,  then  shingled  with  flat  stones, 
and  these  covered  with  straw  and  a  coating  of  coarse  manure,  fin- 
ishing up  by  filling  the  barrel  with  rich  earth,  and  planting  on  this 
a  hill  of  cucumbers.  The  handiest  barrel  was  accordingly  seized 
upon,  that  used  by  our  foster  mother  for  pounding  clothes.  We 
began  operations  in  earnest,  but  conflict  ensued,  since  it  was  im- 
possible to  convince  our  maternal  guide  that  her  pounding  barrel 
was  the  spot  in  which  to  grow  pickles.  Threats  of  castigation  did 
not  deter  us  from  persistence,  and  promising  our  mother  another 
and  better  barrel  within  a  few  days,  we  went  defiantly  ahead  with 
our  "gardening."  The  maternal  word  was  kept  to  the  letter,  but 


18  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

this  was  something  of  daily  discipline,  and  so  we  did  not  seriously 
object  to  it,  in  view  of  the  harvest  in  prospect. 

Our  experiment  was  made  with  care,  since  we  had  found  out  thus 
early,  that  what  was  worth  doing  at  all,  was  worth  well  doing.  Our 
one  hill  of  cucumbers  did  wonders,  and  yet  came  far  short  of  a 
barrel  of  pickles.  We  estimated  them  at  a  half  bushel,  but  now, 
having  gotten  over  the  ardor  of  youth,  we  are  bound  to  admit  that 
they  would  have  filled  only  a  peck  measure,  and  possibly  have  come 
short  of  that  by  at  least  "  one  pickle."  But  the  pounding  barrel 
having  been  ruined,  and  the  "  rod  in  pickle"  having  been  applied, 
and  the  crdp  falling  far  short  of  our  expectations,  we  resolved  not 
to  give  it  up  so,  but  repeated  our  experiment  the  ensuing  year, 
well  convinced  that  we  could  demonstrate  the  fact  that  a  pounding 
barrel  was  a  good  place  in  which  to  grow  pickles  ;  and  the  second 
time  we  succeeded  in  an  eminent  degree,  since  the  one  hill,  in  the 
barrel,  produced  nearly  or  quite  a  half  bushel,  and  doing  the  pick- 
ing ourselves,  and  the  barrel  being  in  close  proximity  to  a  fine 
patch  in  the  garden,  we  convinced  our  foster  mother  that  her  boy 
was  a  prodigy  in  growing  cucumbers  ;  nor  told  a  lie  any  more  than 
would  George  Washington  probably  have  done  under  similar  cir- 
cumstances, but  left  our  mother  to  tell  the  story  of  her  boy  having 
grown  a  full  half  barrel  of  pickles  from  one  hill,  planted  in  her 
pounding  barrel. 

In  the  season  of  1840,  finding  ourself  in  Michigan,  we  made  care- 
ful note  of  the  good  effects  upon  grasses  and  grains  in  proximity 
to  the  primeval  forests,  more  especially  in  fields  lying  below  the 
level  of  the  wilderness  in  which  the  maple,  beech,  basswood  and 
other  like  timbers  prevailed  ;  nor  did  the  corresponding  dearth  in 
fields  on  and  about  the  prairies  and  oak-openings,  escape  observa- 
tion. Again,  in  tracing  what  we  presumed  were  tracks  of  hidden 
waters  beneath  the  surface  operating  as  we  conjectured  as  inlets 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  19 

and  outlets,  connecting  multitudinous  lakes,  ponds,  swamps  and 
morasses,  covered  in  many  instances  with  turf  trembling  upon  their 
surfaces,  we  remarked  the  deep  green  of  the  verdure,  when  con- 
trasted with  that  of  grasses  and  grains  on  more  elevated  planes, 
and  along  undulations. 

From  Lower  California,  far  away  on  the  Pacific  coast,  rumors 
came  of  a  valley  of  green  amid  the  sands  of  the  desert,  perennial 
in  products  of  the  olive  and  vine,  where  buried  were  the  waters  of  a 
river  in  subterranean  flow,  and  where  the  roots  of  trees  and  plants, 
deep  dipping  down,  found  nourishment  at  a  depth  of  from  twenty 
to  thirty  feet.  In  reading  of  the  Sahara  and  other  deserts  of  earth, 
the  oasis  was  our  only  solace,  and  how  to  grow  an  oasis,  became  a 
study  of  intensest  interest.  The  artesian  well  we  longed  to  look 
upon,  nor  could  we  be  satisfied  till  our  eyes  had  seen  it. 

Returning  to  our  native  state  of  New  York  in  the  autumn  of  that 
year,  the  green  of  the  grasses  of  Allegany  and  Wyoming  Counties, 
as  seen  amid  the  sere  and  yellow  leaf,  begat  dreams  of  a  land 
somewhere  hidden  from  view,  in  which  no  deserts  are  found,  and 
where  grasses  greenly  growing,  alongside  of  flowers  unfading,  and 
fruits  that  perish  not  as  apples  of  the  Dead  Sea,  turning  to  ashes 
in  the  hands  of  men,  but  growing  ever  on  amid  immortelles  of  the 
great  hereafter,  made  the  gloomy  winter  of  1839  and  '40,  to  appear 
the  less  dark  and  dreary,  on  account  of  our  dreamings. 

The  next  Spring,  Summer  and  Autumn  were  spent  in  looking 
over,  from  time  to  time,  that  delightful  section  of  Western  New 
York,  embraced  in  the  valleys  of  the  Genesee  River  and  its  num- 
berless tributaries,  noting,  more  especially,  those  outgushing 
fountains  of  living  waters,  appealing  as  springs,  chiefest  among 
which  are  those  at  Caledonia,  Avon  and  Wethersfield.  The  Oatka, 
Honeoye,  Tonawanda,  Canaseraga,  Cohocton,  Canisteo  and  other 
creeks  and  rivers,  come  largely  from  springs  bubbling  out  all  along 


20  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE, 

their  channel  ways.  Tracing  these  waters  to  their  sources,  and 
dwelling  upon  the  methods  employed  by  the  Creator  in  begetting 
springs,  rivers,  rivulets  and  lakes,  we  learned  lessons  of  incalcul- 
able value.  On  return  therefore  from  Michigan  to  Wyoming 
County,  New  York,  we  drifted  as  naturally  back  to  the  Cattaraugus 
of  our  birth,  and  Allegany  of  our  breeding,  as  follows  the  trout 
in  ascent  to  the  sources  of  streams  amid  the  forests  and  among  the 
mountains. 

From  early  childhood,  we  had  had  liquid  manures  on  the  brain. 
So  early  as  1844,  we  undertook  to  grow  a  few  cabbages  to  impress- 
ive proportions,  for  the  sole  purpose  of  convincing  the  champion 
cabbage  grower  of  our  acquaintance  that  there  were  things  in 
heaven  and  earth  not  so  much  as  dreamed  of  in  his  conceited  phil- 
osphy.  We  had  barely  set  out  in  life,  and  occupying  a  rented 
house,  had  the  narrowest  limits  for  garden  making.  A  few  rows  of 
potatoes,  a  bed  of  beets,  another  of  onions,  lettuce,  etc.,  to  which 
was  added  a  few  cabbage  plants,  made  up  the  sum  of  our  venture. 
Near  by  dwelt  the  boss  farmer  and  gardener  of  the  neighborhood, 
Squire  C.  Our  ground  was  rich,  and  we  could  not  understand 
why  the  Squire  had  fine  cabbage,  while  ours  had  scarcely  begun 
heading. 

"  What  do  you  do,  Squire,"  we  asked,  "  to  make  your  cabbage 
grow  so  rapidly?" 

With  a  mischievous  twinkle  of  the  eye,  our  venerable  neighbor 
answered  : 

"  That's  a  secret  worth  knowing,  and  if  you  will  not  tell  anybody, 
and  try  it  yourself,  I'll  let  you  know  how  it's  done." 

We  promised,  of  course  ;  when  coming  up  closely,  the  old  gentle- 
man whispered  in  our  ear  : 

"I  always  hoe  my  cabbage  before  sunrise." 

Forthwith  we  resolved  to  get  even  with  him.     Our  plants  were  fine 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  21 

ones,  thrifty  growing,  and  we  had  somewhere  heard  that  weak  brine 
turned  upon  the  soil  was  a  good  thing  for  cabbage,  and  having 
heard  also  that  hen  manure  was  best  of  all  fertilizers,  our  mind 
was  made  up  instanter,  to  show  our  neighbor  the  Squire,  what 
could  be  done  in  growing  cabbages  in  absence  of  early  rising.  Pro- 
viding ourself  therefore  with  a  solution  of  salt,  hen  manure,  and  add- 
ing ashes  and  lime  as  ingredients,  we  set  about  rebuking  our  neigh- 
bor for  even  hinting  that  we  were  the  identical  individual  pointed 
out  in  Proverbs,  6th  chapter,  6th  verse,  etc. 

Rising  early  each  morning  for  a  week,  we  "  doctored"  our  cab- 
bages, in  confident  belief  that,  in  the  course  of  a  month  or  six 
weeks,  we  would  be  able  to  show  neighbor  Couch  what  a  boy 
knew  about  growing  cabbage.  It  took  just  six  days  to  kill  every 
plant  as  dead  as  so  many  Egyptian  mummies.  From  that  hour, 
though  sticking  to  theories  of  liquid  manuring,  we  gave  up  that  sort 
of  "  doctoring"  which  applies  it  in  allopathic  doses. 

On  page  65  of  Mr.  Stewart's  book  on  irrigation  for  the  farm, 
garden  and  orchard  may  be  found  the  following  : 

"  In  applying  liquid  manure  it  is  always  necessary  to  use  it  in  a 
highly  diluted  state,  even  so  much  diluted  that  if  it  would  run  off 
perfectly  clear  it  might  be  found  of  sufficient  strength  for  all  pur- 
poses. The  danger  lies  in  using  it  of  too  great  strength,  rather 
than  in  diluting  it  too  copiously." 

We  did  not  mention  to  our  venerable  Mentor,  the  Squire,  the  re- 
sults arising  from  our  use  of  liquid  manuring,  but  we  ceaselessly 
sought  the  rule  to  follow  in  compounding  them  and  what  propor- 
tions of  potassium,  ammonia,  lime,  sodium,  magnesia  and  other  ele- 
ments of  liquids  and  solids  are  required,  for  this  and  that  crop,  in 
order  to  obtain  the  best  results. 

Not  far  from  five  years  subsequent  to  our  experiment  in  growing 
cabbage,  we  found  ourself  occupying  a  home  on  the  banks  of  the 


22  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

Genesee.  In  our  farm  barn  yard  manures  had  lain  for  years  in  huge 
piles,  from  the  bases  of  which  ran  off  streams  of  liquid,  dark  as  lye, 
distributing  and  diffusing  their  influence  over  three  or  four  acres 
of  alluvial  lying  between  the  barn  and  the  river.  In  the  track  of 
this  current  of  inspiration  to  plant  growth,  stood  a  pine  stump 
with  a  breadth  of  top  telling  the  story  of  one  of  those  departed 
giants  of  the  forest,  occasionally  found  in  the  wilderness  of  this 
region  at  the  commencement  of  the  present  century.  That  some 
pioneer  had  attempted,  years  before,  to  grub  out  this  stump,  and 
after  making  a  good  beginning,  abandoned  the  undertaking,  was 
evidenced  by  the  fact  that  on  its  upper  side  toward  the  barn,  was 
an  excavation  telling  the  tale  of  the  undertaker.  Into  this  hole 
the  liquids  from  the  barn  had  been  discharging  for  years,  and 
sinking  below  the  surface  their  subterranean  track  was  plainly 
marked  by  a  wealth  of  verdure  the  equal  to  which  we  had  never 
before  seen.  Immediately  below  the  stump  grew  a  most  wonder- 
ful blackberry  bush,  the  canes  at  base  averaging  an  inch  in  diam- 
eter, and  growing  to  a  length  of  from  twelve  to  fifteen  feet.  From 
this  one  bush,  our  family  picked  nearly  a  bushel  of  native  black- 
berries, rivaling  in  beauty,  and  greatly  superior  in  flavor  to  any 
we  had  ever  tasted. 

Here  was  evidence  conclusive  that  to  Mother  Earth  may  at  all 
times  safely  be  left  the  work  of  elaboration,  combination,  com- 
pounding, mixing  and  mingling  of  ingredients  necessary  to  the 
germination,  growth  and  development  of  plants. 

In  Beers'  Illustrated  history  of  Allegany  County,  page  362,  may 
be  found  a  picture  of  Basswood  cottage,  the  home  in  the  wilderness 
where  we  made  in  reality,  our  first  garden  ;  hence,  what  would 
perhaps  otherwise  seem  inappropiate,  becomes  fit  and  opportune, 
and  we  make  a  quotation  from  the  history,  as  follows  : 

"Basswood  Cottage,  the  home  to  which  Mr.  Cole  and  family  had 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  23 

retreated,  represented  in  accompanying  engraving,  was  a  log  cabin 
in  the  pine  woods,  and  is  thus  pictured  by  the  graphic  pen  of  the 
since  widely  known  journalist,  in  one  of  his  easy  chair  letters, 
appearing  in  the  Elmira  Advertiser,  under  date  of  February  24th, 
1875." 

"  The  spot  chosen  for  our  dwelling  place  was  as  wild,  sylvan  and 
rustic  as  any  to  be  found  amid  the  forests  primeval  of  Allegany  Co., 
N.  Y.  Our  house  was  one  built  of  logs,  unhewn,  but  not  rudely  so,  or 
without  architectural  pretentions  in  an  humble  way — a  neat  cottage 
with  wings,  portico  in  front,  over  which  ran  climbing  roses,  while 
ivies  twined,  and  morning  glories  in  sinuous  wanderings  and  wind- 
ings found  their  way  to  the  roof  of  the  cottage.  Flowers  bloomed 
in  the  dooryard,  planted,  cared  for  and  watered  by  the  ever  busy 
hand  of  'Mi's.  Easy  Chair.'  In  the  rear  of  the  house  was  a  lofty 
hill  quite  like  to  a  mountain,  from  the  base  to  the  brow  of  which 
rose  up  tall  pines,  oaks,  maples,  beeches,  birches  and  basswoods, 
whose  shadows  fell  upon  us  daily,  as  the  sun  went  down  before  its 
time  in  the  west.  In  the  front  and  to  the  north  was  a  carpet  of 
greensward,  partially  shaded  by  beautiful  trees,  planted  by  nature's 
plastic  hand,  and  scattered  here  and  there  were  maples  of  second 
growth  with  spreading  branches.  On  the  left  was  a  garden,  where 
was  early  cultivated  that  taste  for  horticulture  since  grown  to  be  a 
passion." 

Yes,  dear  reader,  it  was  here,  amid  the  shadows  of  the  forest,  we 
made  our  first  garden.  The  spot  was  a  pocket  of  alluvial,  rich, 
deep  and  dark,  less  than  an  half  acre,  created  by  drift  from  the 
mountain  side  above,  pure  vegetable  mold  ;  no  spot  could  have 
well  been  richer  in  soil,  or  more  naturally  productive.  Here  were 
grown  such  potatoes,  peas,  beans,  cabbages,  turnips  and  other 
garden  vegetables,  as  we  have  never  seen  until  the  adoption  of  our 
present  system  of  culture. 


24  THE   UKW   AGRICULTURE. 

Few  stone  were  found  in  the  soil.  Here  and  there,  however, 
buried  and  out  of  sight,  was  found  an  occasional  pine  or  hemlock 
knot,  resisting  for  generations  the  tooth  of  time.  Here  we  found  the 
first  clump-foot  cabbage,  and  forthwith,  suspecting  something  wras 
not  quite  right,  we  dug  down,  and  brought  out  a  huge  pine  knot. 
Here,  again,  we  began  experiments  with  Hovey's  seedling,  succeed- 
ing after  a  year  or  two  of  patient  endeavor,  in  gathering  from  a 
bed  of  thirty  hills  nearly  a  pint  of  strawberries,  the  largest  speci- 
men of  wrhich  measured  three  inches  in  circumference.  So  great  was 
our  triumph  that  one  of  our  friends  traveled  on  foot  six  miles  to  see 
that  big  berry.  Were  our  friend  now  near  by,  instead  of  far  away 
we  would,  were  he  to  visit  us  next  July,  1885,  show  him  bushels  of 
berries,  averaging  as  large  as  the  one,  which  at  that  time,  was  the 
greatest  of  wonders.  When  it  conies  to  specimens  of  our  best, 
viz  :  Jersey  Queens,  Jumbos,  Manchesters,  Monarchs,  &c.,  we 
could  exhibit  them  by  scores  and  hundreds,  measuring  from  five 
to  seven  inches  in  circumference. 

But  the  reason  of  the  barrenness  of  most  of  our  strawberry  plants 
in  our  first  garden  puzzled  and  vexed  us  to  find  out,  as  it  probably 
did  every  other  producer  in  our  county.  While  onions  grew  to 
larger  size  than  we  had  seen  anywhere,  and  cabbages,  beets  and 
turnips  astonished  us  with  their  prodigious  growth,  only  about  one 
out  of  three  of  our  strawberry  plants  showed  berries.  The  vines 
appeared  sickly,  and  the  roots  of  the  plants  did  not  seem  to  get 
firm  hold  in  the  earth,  and  we  took  to  pulling  them  up,  and  digging 
down,  seeking  the  cause  of  infecundity  and  unthrift.  With  scarce 
an  exception,  we  found  at  the  depth  of  from  twelve  to  fifteen  inches 
the  inevitable  pine  or  hemlock  knot,  and  still  more  frequently,  a 
flat  stone.  We  found  the  roots  of  our  plants,  reaching  deeply  down, 
had  come  in  contact  with  buried  obstructions,  and  that  disease  had 
followed.  Making  use  of  the  spectacles  of  an  aged  person  serving 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  25 

admirably  as  a  microscope,  and  securing  a  focus  best  calculated  to 
bring  out  the  hidden  enemy,  it  did  not  take  long  for  us  to  become 
satisfied  that  the  seed  of  fungus  was  nearly  everywhere  present,  the 
.great  begetter  of  disease.  Of  this  seed  of  fungus  we  had  read  much  in 
books,  found  in  the  library  of  a  physician,  in  whose  family  we  spent 
much  time  in  early  life. 

Suffice  it  to  say  that  we  were  thirty  years  old  before  we  became 
convinced  of  the  baleful  influence  of  this  arch  enemy  of  plant 
growth.  We  found  it  amid  damps  and  moulds,  and  equally  amid 
soils  in  which  was  a  lack  of  moisture.  Wherever  the  roots  of 
plants  came  in  contact  with  sticks  covered  with  mould,  or  with 
stones  hidden  in  the  soil,  more  especially  with  the  inevitable  flat 
stone  completely  destructive  of  plant  thrift,  we  found  fungus,  bring- 
ing decay  and  death.  Nor  was  this  all,  for  hovering  about  the  roots 
of  plants  diseased  from  infection  by  fungus,  were  found  parasites  in 
form  of  the  wire-worm,  earth-worm  and  more  especially  the  minute 
white  grub  or  maggot,  the  latter  fatally  destructive,  eating  away 
the  roots  of  plants,  and  bringing  not  merely  disease,  but  certain 
death. 

In  a  few  instances,  so  deep  down  did  we  dip  to  find  the  offender, 
as  to  reach  the  subsoil,  evenly  and  smoothly  descending  to  the 
stream  flowing  alongside  our  little  delta,  so  rich  in  surface  as 
to  enable  us  to  grow  more  on  our  single  half  acre  than  was  gather- 
ed from  two  to  three  times  the  area  devoted  to  gardening  by  neigh- 
boring fanners. 

During  our  first  year's  experience,  there  came  sudden  showers  of 
such  force  and  volume,  as  to  bring  from  off  the  mountain  side  above, 
an  amount  of  soil  and  debris  from  the  recesses  of  the  forest  as  to 
convince  us  that  a  ditch,  sunk  at  the  base  of  the  hill  and  connect- 
ing with  the  stream  traversing  the  valley,  would  be  just  the  thing 
to  provide  against  accidents.  Plowing  oxir  garden  late  in  autumn, 


26  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

we  took  the  precaution  to  direct  the  plowman  to  leave  a  deep  fur- 
row as  near  the  base  of  the  hill  as  convenient.  This  was  done,  and 
here  was  found  what  had  seemingly  been  a  channel  for  waters,  or> 
from  conformation  of  the  ground,  more  probably  such  a  recepta- 
cle as  to  send  them  in  even  flow  along  the  subsoil  to  the  stream, 
leaving  the  mold  in  their  track,  and  begetting  our  little  pocket 
of  a  garden.  Applying  the  pick  and  spade,  our  ditch  was  com- 
pleted, but  as  this  in  its  curve  described  a  crescent,  with  point  ter- 
minating in  the  bed  of  the  creek  up  the  stream,  discharge  of  the 
waters  into  the  creek  only  took  place  when  the  '  dish '  overflowed. 
To  prevent  our  trench  from  filling  with  soil  therefore,  recourse  was 
had  to  filling  it  with  stone,  a  quantity  of  which  had  been  thrown 
out  by  the  plow,  and  so  a  burial  spot  was  made  for  stone  and  knots, 
old  boots,  shoes  and  other  castaways  of  the  household,  in  promis- 
cuous minglings.  Over  these  was  cast  the  pure  vegetable  mold, 
and  thus,  in  descending  the  hillside,  the  wraters  dropped  into  the 
trench,  and  thence  flowed  along  the  dip  of  the  subsoil,  until  in  sub- 
terranean movement  they  reached  the  stream.  In  the  sinking  of  our 
ditch,  not  so  much  as  a  dream  had  we,  that  demonstration  was  be- 
ing made  of  a  method  which  was  to  ultimate  in  so  modifying  ante- 
cedent systems  of  farming  and  gardening,  as  to  amount  to  what 
now  looks  like  revolution.  And  yet  so  it  proved  in  more  ways  than 
one,  since  it  was  this  crudely  conceived  and  carelessly  sunken 
trench,  with  its  surface  of  sponge,  that  told  a  story  to  be  yet  heard 
all  over  the  world. 

Not  least  of  good  fortunes  was  the  one  of  emergence,  at  base  of 
our  mountain  side,  of  considerable  numbers  of  minute  springs, 
even  in  the  driest  of  weather,  whose  waters  in  spring,  autumn  and 
winter,  warmly  descending  from  what  may  be  fitly  denominated 
"our  great  dipper"  on  the  mountain  side  above,  supplied  the 
household  with  excellent  water.  Finding  the  waters  lost  in  the 


THE   NEW    AGRICULTURE.  27 

depths  of  our  ditch,  we  ascended  the  slope  and  arrested  them  by 
making  a  second  ditch,  thus  aggregating  the  waters  at  the  rear  of 
the  house,  and,  the  winter  proving  an  open  one,  we  secured  a  foun- 
tain of  pure  water  during  its  continuance.  The  snows  in  the  woods 
began  melting  in  February,  and  their  waters  descending  the  hill, 
striking  the  surface  of  our  trench,  disappeared,  only  to  emerge  in 
the  stream  beyond,  and  all  along  through  the  spring  ensuing 
seemed  to  render  more  crystal-clear  the  waters  of  the  creek  The 
effect  upon  the  soil  of  our  garden  seemed  miraculous  ;  for  such  was 
its  condition  as  to  enable  us  to  plant  potatoes  the  last  days  of  Feb- 
ruary, doing  so  in  hopes  of  being  able  to  mature  them  in  season  to 
avoid  the  rot,  at  that  time  threatening  extinction  of  this  most  valu- 
able among  root  crops. 

Not  until  within  the  last  ten  years  have  we  been  enabled  to  see 
that  it  was  the  waters  of  rains,  dews  and  spring  melting  snows, 
descending  from  among  the  damps  and  moulds,  mosses,  ferns, 
flags,  wild  grasses,  mucks  and  minglings  of  a  swamp  in  the  depres- 
sion of  that  mountain  side  above,  moving  out  from  under  the  snows 
at  spring  water  temperature  and  dropping  into  our  trench  and 
continuing  to  flow  along  the  incline  of  the  subsoil — not  for  ten 
years  did  we  discover  that  these  waters  removed  the  frost  from  our 
garden,  preparing  it  for  germination  of  seeds  two  or  three  weeks 
earlier  than  otherwise. 

We  see  it  all  now,  having  found  out  there  was  the  best  of  reasons 
existing  why  we,  that  season,  grew  as  fine  potatoes  as  we  had  ever 
seen,  the  frost  having  been  kept  out  of  the  ground  during  March 
when  the  Frost  King  coming  in  fiercest  fury,  laid  his  hand  on 
the  lands  of  our  neighbors,  freezing  them  to  a  considerable  depth, 
fully  three  weeks  after  we  had  committed  our  seed  to  the  ground, 
and  making  an  end  of  crops  on  every  other  spot,  within,  perhaps, 
an  hundred  miles  in  any  direction  from  our  home.  Nor  was  it 


8  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

alone  the  condition  of  the  soil  as  regarded  temperature,  but  so 
even  and  uniform  was  the  flow  of  the  waters,  and  so  perfectly  were 
food  and  drink  supplied  to  the  tubers,  food  always  in  abundance 
-and  never  in  surfeit,  that  the  effects  of  fungus,  about  that  period  de- 
veloping infection  of  soils  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic,  and  that 
very  season  reducing  the  potato  crop  to  a  point  threatening  extinc- 
tion, did  not  touch  our  little  patch  of  about  a  quarter  of  an  acre, 
and  we  harvested  fully  thirty  bushels  of  potatoes  in  beauty  of  per- 
fection. This  was  so  much  a  matter  of  surprise  to  our  neighbors, 
that  the  ensuing  spring  they  took  to  early  planting  as  a  remedy 
for  the  blight;  but  nobody  seemed  to  realize  benefits  from  so  doing, 
since  the  season  succeeding  proved  equally  one  of  blight  and 
destruction,  so  far  as  the  potato  was  concerned. 

That  season,  the  last  spent  in  Basswood  Cottage,  was  the  one  at 
date  of  which  practically  began  the  work  of  our  discoveries. 

Though  meeting  Horace  Greeley  from  time  to  time,  from  1843 
to  1861,  counseling  with  and  confiding  in  him  as  in  none  other  among 
public  men  of  our  country,  it  was  not  until  the  latter  year  that  our 
relations  became  those  of  intimate  companionship.  Though  hon- 
oring and  esteeming  Salmon  P.  Chase,  Charles  Sumner,  William  H. 
Seward,  Joshua  R.  Giddings,  Gerrit  Smith,  James  S.  Wadsworth, 
Abraham  Lincoln  and  hundreds  of  others  we  might  name,  advising 
with  and  confiding  in  them,  Mr.  Greeley  was  the  only  one  we  had 
never  found  at  fault  on  questions  affecting  the  health  and  wealth 
of  earth's  peoples.  This  deep  thinking  and  profound  moral  and 
political  philosopher,  a  second  Doctor  Franklin,  has  had  no  equal 
in  our  judgement  among  the  public  men  of  our  country. 

John  C.  Fremont,  the  Pathfinder,  had  but  little  more  than  made 
search  for  those  passes  over  and  through  which,  first  the  weary 
wagon  train,  and  since  then  long  successions  of  steam  cars  have 
coursed  their  iron  way,  linking  ocean  with  ocean,  when  Horace 


THE    NEW    AGRICULTURE.  29 

Greeley  by  stage,  on  horseback  and  on  foot,  made  his  overland 
journey  to  California.  At  the  time  of  setting  out  the  editor  of  the 
Tribune  had  a  better  knowledge  of  the  composition  of  soils  and  their 
adaptation  to  the  growth  of  this  and  that  crop,  than  perhaps  any 
man  of  his  day  and  generation.  Profoundly  believing  the  way 
would  be  ultimately  found  to  make  the  desert  to  blossom  as  the  rose, 
Mr.  Greeley,  before  starting  on  his  journey,  during  a  most  interest- 
ing conversation  on  the  subject  of  reclaiming  desert  lands,  said  to 
us  that  he  would  not  think  of  going  were  it  not  for  an  irrepressible 
desire  to  see  and  determine  for  himself  whether  there  existed,  in 
fact,  an  American  desert.  On  his  return,  meeting  our  friend  and 
Mentor  at  Hornellsville  by  appointment,  he  said : 

"  I  want  to  see  and  talk  with  you,  Cole,  and  tell  you  all  about 
what  I  have  seen.  Let  me  say  to  you  now  that  Clark,  Lewis  and 
Fremont  were  greater  discoverers  than  Christopher  Columbus.  Col- 
umbus found  a  new  world,  albeit  his  discovery  was  made  at  a  time 
when  navigators  of  a  half  dozen  nations  were  finding  their  way  in- 
to distant  and  unexplored  seas  and  oceans,  and  he  only  followed  in 
the  track  of  predecessors,  though  more  adventurous  as  he  was  braver 
and  more  intelligent  and  intuitive,  than  others  of  his  clay  and  genera- 
tion. But,  my  dear  fellow,  this  new  world  that  Columbus  discover- 
ed is  about  being  rediscovered;  and  these  Horatios  all  about  us, 
are  to  find  out  there  are  millions  of  things  in  heaven  and  earth  they 
have  never  dreamed  of  in  their  philosophies.  The  South  is  a  great 
country,  cursed  with  madmen,  fancying  themselves  statesmen  and 
sages,  men  who  cannot  be  convinced  that  the  fetters  forged  for 
their  slaves,  and  the  chains  about  the  bodies  of  their  bondsmen  are 
not  those  of  iron,  but  of  flax  and  toe,  which,  at  the  touch  of  fire  are 
bound  first  or  last  to  turn  to  ashes  all,  and  the  places  knowing  now 
the  oppressed  and  oppressor  to  know  them  no  more  forever. 

"I  have  made  a  long  journey,  and  seen  more,  and  learned  more 


30  THE   NEW    AGRICULTURE, 

than  in  all  my  life  before.  Ours  is  the  greatest  country,  and  this 
is  the  greatest  people  on  the  face  of  the  earth.  England,  France, 
Germany  and  all  the  other  nations  of  Europe  are  as  old  men,  their 
energies  exhausted,  their  resources  largely  wasted,  and  their  possi- 
bilities thoroughly  tested.  There  is  more  of  gold  and  silver  and 
of  precious  stones  in  our  great  American  desert,  than  in  all  of  the 
countries  of  the  Old  World,  and  among  the  hills,  along  the  plains, 
and  in  the  valleys  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  and  Sierra  Nevada  and 
Coast  Ranges,  and  along  the  Pacific  slope,  are  found  greater  possi- 
bilities as  regards  population  and  production  than  in  all  of  the 
older  sections  of  our  own  country,  or,  in  fact,  any  other  portion  of 
our  globe.  I  want  to  tell  you  about  those  big  trees,  and  all  of  the 
other  big  and  little  things  I  have  seen  since  I  have  been  gone.  I 
will  only  say  now  that  Sumner  had  it  right.  We  ought  to  buy  the 
slaves  of  their  masters  and  pay  for  them,  if  to  do  this,  as  Sum- 
ner says,  it  becomes  necessary  to  build  a  bridge  of  gold  over  which 
these  bondsmen  may  cross  in  reaching  a  land  of  liberty.  We  can 
afford  to  build  it.  There  is  money  enough  in  the  mines  of  Cali- 
fornia now  being  dug  out  to  buy  the  whole  South,  lands,  cotton, 
corn,  slaves  and  slaveholders,  and  colonize  them  all  in  Africa  to- 
gether, or  somewhere  else,  if  need  be.  But  colonization  is  a  fraud, 
a  delusion  and  a  snare.  There  is  work  enough,  and  will  be  found 
wages  enough,  for  all  sorts  of  workers  inside  the  boundaries  of 
what  has  been  denominated  the  great  American  desert,  to  employ 
an  hundred  millions  of  white  and  black  men  alike.  It's  all  a  lie, 
that  because  people  are  black  they  will  not  work.  Who  built  the 
pyramids  ?  Who  the  Chinese  wall  ?  Who  was  Hannibal  ? 

"  The  Egyptians  were  no  more  a  white  people  four  thousand  years 
ago  than  now.  I  tell  you  the  Carthagenians  had  no  more  physical 
and  intellectual  power  three  thousand  years  ago  than  have  the 
Nubians  and  Abyssinians  of  to-day.  This  whole  thing  of  black  and 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  31 

white,  and  all  this  nonsense  about  white  men  taking  more  to  work 
than  black  ones,  is  only  an  excuse  for  enslavement.  Let  me  tell  you 
that  white  people  do  very  little  work  south.  John  M.  Botts  under- 
stands it,  as  also  does  Cassius  M.  Clay.  Everybody  who  knows 
enough  to  keep  out  of  the  fire,  North  and  South  alike,  under- 
stands it,  but  people  are  not  generally  honest  enough  to  confess 

it 

"  I  have  been  out  among  all  sorts  of  folks  who  work,  and  if  I 

except  the  Indians,  people  of  any  and  all  nations  will  work,  only 
give  them  freedom,  free  soil,  and  an  opportunity  to  secure  free 
homes.  Possibly  the  Indians  will  work  also,  should  any  be  left  at 
the  close  of  the  present  century,  which  I  very  much  doubt,  since 
whiskey  and  the  vices  of  mean  white  men  are  rapidly  making  an 
end  of  our  aboriginal  tribes,  and  I  think  sometimes  that  the 
sooner  the  thing  is  done  and  the  last  Indian's  grave  is  dug  the  better. 
I  believe  in  God  and  his  providence  ;  you  know  I  do,  Cole,  but 
what  is  providence  so  far  as  Indians  go,  God  only  knows.  Come 
down  to  the  city  and  see  me,  dear  Cole,  and  give  me  a  chance  to  tell 
you  about  my  over  land  journey." 

Such  was  the  tenor  of  what  Mr.  Greeley  said  at  Hornellsville. 
A  month  later  found  us  in  New  York  for  three  or  four  days,  a  con- 
siderable portion  of  the  time  being  spent  in  the  company  of  Ameri- 
ca's greatest  journalist.  How  to  reclaim  the  desert  by  irrigation, 
was  the  burden  of  Mr.  Greeley's  every  discourse.  Artesian  wells, 
windmills,  current-wheels  and  other  methods  of  lifting  the  waters 
from  levels  below  to  inclines  and  planes  above,  was  a  subject  he 
continually  dwelt  upon.  Mr.  Stewart,  in  his  admirable  book  on 
page  23  says  : 

"  The  late  Horace  Greeley,  who,  although  an  enthusiast  on  the 
subject  of  irrigation,  was  nearly  correct  in  his  estimate,  when  he 
concluded  that  one  artesian  well  would  serve  to  irrigate  no  more 


32  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

than  a  quarter  section  of  land,  or  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres." 

When  discoursing  on  artesian  wells,  we  asked  Mr.  Greeley  if  he 
felt  confident  that  water  would  be  reached  in  a  majority  of  in- 
stances, if  the  experiment  of  sinking  such  wells  was  made  in  the  arid 
portions  of  our  country.  His  answer,  given  in  the  affirmative,  was 
coupled  with  hesitation,  and  he  concluded  by  saying,  that  while  he 
was  quite  confident,  he  was  so  doubtful  at  times  about  it,  as  to  experi- 
ence a  feeling  of  despondency,  since  the  resources  of  the  richest 
portion  of  our  country  could  only  be  developed  by  ample  water 
supplies. 

With  his  usual  clearness  of  vision,  he  made  frequent  mention  of 
a  faith  within  him,  that  the  time  would  come  when  those  seas 
and  oceans  of  water,  descending  in  rivers  of  ceaseless  flow  from  the 
melting  of  snows  and  ices  upon  the  summits  of  great  ranges,  would 
in  some  way  be  arrested,  held  back  and  made  use  of  for  purposes 
of  irrigation.  Solar  evaporation,  as  he  impressively  declared,  was 
the  great  obstacle  to  success  in  this  direction. 

"  Dam  up  these  waters  as  you  may,"  he  said,  "  and  hold  them 
back  as  you  will,  or  move  them  forward,  that  tongue  of  fire  which 
comes  from  a  sky  completely  cloudless  from  April  to  November, 
with  the  mercury  ranging  from  eighty  to  one  hundred  and  fifty 
degrees  between  sunrise  and  sunset  of  each  day,  leaves  little  hope 
for  such  a  system  of  water  preserve  and  supply  as  will  gather  them 
in  for  mechanical,  manufacturing  and  mining  purposes,  to  say 
nothing  of  domestic  uses  or  those  of  irrigation." 

In  one  of  these  conversations,  Mr.  Greeley  made  mention  of  the 
reported  existence  in  Southern  California,  if  our  memory  serves 
us  well,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Los  Angeles,  where,  in  the  midst 
of  a  desert,  was  seen  an  oasis  so  remarkable  as  to  occasion  surprise. 
This  was  a  valley,  as  described  to  him,  of  perpetual  green,  along 
which  for  several  miles  was  found  growing  at  all  seasons  of  the 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  33 

year,  such  fruits,  flowers  and  profuse  vegetation  as  scarcely 
anywhere  else  seen  on  the  face  of  the  earth.  Dipping  down,  at  the 
depth  of  twenty-two  feet,  there  was  found  a  sunken  river  three  or 
four  feet  deep,  and  a  mile  or  two  broad.  This  concealed  river,  one 
of  crystal  waters,  was  what  begat  the  oasis.  To  see  for  himself,  Mr. 
Greeley  assured  us,  so  became  a  passion,  and  that  there  were  days  to- 
gether, when  he  felt  he  could  not  return  home  without  looking 
in  upon  this  wonderful  valley.  He  returned,  bringing  with  him 
the  evidence  of  those  he  deemed  credible  witnesses  and  having  in  his 
mind  no  doubt  about  its  existence,  and  furthermore  that  all  along 
this  wonderful  subterranean  river  the  roots  of  trees,  and  even  of 
the  wild  clover  and  other  productions  of  Southern  California,  reach- 
ed the  waters  in  their  dippings  down. 

These  conversations  with  our  most  trusted  counsellor  and  friend, 
had  great  influence,  and  the  subject  of  subsurface,  subterranean 
or  underground  flow  of  the  waters  as  a  means  of  irrigation,  became 
more  and  more  a  constant  study.  That  a  deep  covering  of  earth 
would  shield  the  waters  from  solar  evaporation  was  evident.  The 
law  of  gravity  inclining  the  waters  to  sink  into  the  earth,  and 
another  law,  that  of  capillary  attraction,  quite  as  mysterious,  magi- 
cal, powerful  and  all-pervading,  became  at  once  a  source  of  con- 
stant study  and  observation. 

While  according  to  Mr.  Greeley  the  credit  and  honor  of  being  a 
continual  prompter,  intensifying  our  lines  of  thought,  not  to  him, 
however,  or  to  any  other  one  man,  but  to  individuals,  here  and 
there  met  with,  in  a  majority  of  instances,  comparatively  speaking, 
unlearned,  or  rather,  unlettered  men,  we  gained  most  of  knowl- 
edge. It  was  during  our  residence  in  Brooklyn  that  from  an  ex-slave 
black  as  Othello,  at  blackest  painted,  we  learned  how  lands  were 
reclaimed  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Dismal  Swamp.  From  the 
Hollander  we  found  out  how  clvkes  were  constructed,  and  from  an 


34  THE   NEW   AGRICULTUBE. 

unlettered  son  of  the  Emerald  Isle  we  learned  how  fuel  was  secured 
in  the  bogs  of  his  native  Ireland.  It  was  from  the  Germans,  how- 
ever, that  we  obtained  most  valuable  information.  Intelligent,  as 
a  rule,  patient  workers,  staid,  steady,  sober  thinkers,  slow-going, 
and  yet  sure,  we  found  them  always  good  authority  on  matters  of 
soil  and  production,  irrigation  and  drainage. 

Reading  the  Tribune  daily,  we  never  omitted  to  note  what  our 
friend  Greeley  and  his  former  editorial  associates  had  to  say  about 
farming  and  gardening.  Forming  the  acquaintance  and  becoming 
warmly  attached  to  Col.  D.  D.  T.  Moore,  of  the  old  Rural  New 
Yorker,  and  getting  acquainted  with  Mr.  Andrew  S.  Fuller,  a  com- 
panionable and  remarkably  well-informed  gentleman  connected 
with  the  Tribune,  we  asked  them  and  nearly  everybody  else  with 
whom  we  conversed,  what  each  thought  about  the  waste  of  the 
waters  coming  of  ordinary  methods  of  tiling  and  drainage  with 
stone  drains. 

Though  not  saying  a  word  about  it  to  anyone,  we  could  not  help 
feeling  provoked  at  seeing  mankind  indulging  in  what  seemed  to 
us  a  wicked  folly,  amounting  to  madness,  as  they  made  haste  to  get 
the  waters  out  into  seas  and  oceans,  instead  of  using  them  while  on 
the  lands,  and  only  conducting  portions  of  the  surplus  down  to  the 
sea  levels. 

From  1866  to  1870  we  were  formulating  plans  and  devising 
methods  of  drainage,  which  should  at  once  irrigate  lands  and  pro- 
vide against  stagnation  of  the  waters,  and  coming  across  the  stray 
writings  of  Major  Hugh  T.  Brooks,  of  Wyoming  County,  N.  Y.,  he 
seemed  to  us  the  man  who  had  found  out  things  which  all  of  the 
world  ought  to  know  by  intuition.  But  having  heard  people  say 
that  "  what  Horace  Greeley  and  Hugh  T.  Brooks  didn't  know  about 
farming  "  would  fill  a  much  larger  book  than  what  a  regiment  of 
that  sort  of  farmers  did  know,  we  felt  doubtful  as  regarded  our 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  35 

own  views,  not  being  any  sort  of  a  farmer  at  all,  and  concluded 
that  what  Major  Brooks  and  ourself  had  found  out  about  drainage 
would  do  to  keep.  We  bided  our  time,  for  it  occurred  to  us  that  it 
might  do  those  of  our  neighbors  good,  who  had  been  poking  sticks 
and  making  game  of  our  "  mining  for  myths,"  should  they  care  to 
learn  how  to  do  it,  rather  than  hold  on  to  their  ways  of  how  not  to 
do  it;  that  to  secure  a  patent  and  insist  on  their  paying  moderately 
for  right  of  "  mining  "  would  increase  their  graces,  and  so  we  kept 
our  own  counsel. 

The  old  year  of  1884  was  waning,  and  the  new  one  1885  about 
being  ushered  in,  when  we  came  across  the  following  from  the  pen 
of  Col.  Curtis  : 

"  Farmers  in  1882  expended  $5,500,000  for  tile  and  dug  nearly 
53,000  miles  of  drains  to  put  them  in.  Besides,  thousands  of  miles 
were  laid  with  stones.  Tile-makers  and  theorists  have  created  and 
fostered  this  craze,  and  if  continued  it  will  result  in  a  perpetual 
water  famine.  Wholesale  rules  adopted  without  discrimination  are 
a  big  curse  in  agriculture,  and  drainage  is  one  of  the  most  potent 
for  mischief.  It  is  true  that  in  many  cases  drainage  improves  land 
and  makes  it  more  tillable,  but  not  always  more  fertile.  Often- 
times a  wet  lot,  or  a  wet  patch,  will,  on  account  of  the  wetness  pro- 
duce more  grass  than  any  other  portion  of  the  farm,  and  by  being 
let  alone  supplies  some  spring  which  is  invaluable.  The  drain 
fever  seizing  the  owner,  the  water  is  speedily  carried  off,  the  early 
and  constant  pasture  spoiled,  and  the  spring  fed  from  it  destroyed. 
Does  this  outlay  pay?  The  same  thoughtless  improvement  sends 
the  melting  snows  and  the  spring  rains,  without  hindrance  into  the 
farm  rivulet,  where  they  quickly  flow  beyond  reach  to  the  distant  river 
The  stores  of  water  being  gone  early  in  the  summer  the  rivulet 
dries,  and  the  stream  into  which  it  flows  gets  wonderfully  small, 
and  the  mill  stops,  and  on  the  river  the  boats  ground. 


36  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

"  Ditches  and  drains  are  made  to  carry  the  water  away  and  they 
do  it.  Ditches  are  the  outlets,  and  the  water  will  always  flow  away 
in  them.  To  keep  up  a  supply  of  moisture  or  of  water  there  must 
be  a  holding  back  of  the  water.  This  is  done  in  many  ways,  when 
the  avenues  of  nature  are  undisturbed.  On  the  surface  it  is  kept 
in  hollows  or  basins,  where  swamps  and  bog-holes  are  formed;  in 
sloughs;  in  mucky  land;  underneath  rocks;  under  the  leaves  and 
trees,  where  the  sun  does  not  cause  it  to  evaporate.  To  prevent 
evaporation  there  must  be  coolness,  and  to  make  coolness  there 
must  be  shade  and  humid  surroundings.  Under  the  surface  it  is 
held  in  pockets,  in  veins  and  subteranean  places  where  it  has  wash- 
ed out  its  own  bed,  and  in  the  constant  percolating  and  oozing  out 
from  swamps,  wet  places  and  other  natural  reservoirs  on  top  of  the 
earth.  AVhere  there  is  no  drainage  to  carry  the  water  away  it  fills 
all  these  fountains  for  the  drier  portions  of  the  seasons.  Each  rain 
adds  to  its  supply.  Before  there  was  so  much  drainage, water  was 
furnished  by  wells  of  moderate  depth  and  springs  were  plenty. 
Now  permanent  springs  are  scarce,  and  the  old  wells  get  dry  early 
in  the  season." 

Far  back  in  our  memories  of  childhood  we  retained  the  faintest 
recollection  of  a  few  lines  from  the  pen  of  Dr.  Benjamin  Franklin, 
found  in  Poor  Richard's  Almanac,  which  would  serve  as  a  text  upon 
which  Col.  Curtis  might  have  based  the  above  extract;  yet  that  dur- 
ing the  half  century  in  which  the  world  had  moved  farther  on,  than 
in  any  one  thousand  years  of  earth's  history,  foresters  and  farm- 
ers should  have  been  found  manifestly  retrograding  on  this  ques- 
tion of  the  world's  water  supply,  was  a  mystery  to  us.  Though  we 
had  even  then  begun  writing  out  the  story  in  briefs  of  our  new  ag- 
riculture, more  than  once  we  came  near  to  giving  up  the  hope  of 
living  long  enough  to  convince  the  world  of  the  efficacy  of  our  new 
svstem.  Here  however  was  one  man  (Col.  Curtis)  at  least,  who  had 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  37 

discovered  the  world's  greatest  want,  and  secured  a  hearing  through 
the  columns  of  the  Tribune,  speaking  to  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
readers,  and  although  it  was  the  merest  mention  yet  a  beginning 
was  secured.  Just  at  this  time  also,  our  eldest  son,  Asher  P.  Cole, 
of  Brooklyn  N.  Y.,forwarded  to  us  Mr.  Stewart's  work  from  which 
extracts  are  frequently  found  along  the  pages  of  this  volume. 
Scarcely  had  we  opened  it,  when  the  following  lines  attracted  our 
attention : 

"  The  summer  rainfall  in  our  climate  is  rarely,  if  ever,  adequate 
to  what  would  be  a  maximum  crop  consistent  with  the  possibilities 
of  the  soil." 

This  was  not  news  to  us  since  we  had  found  out  that  a  single 
hill  of  cucumbers  would  drink  a  half  barrel  of  water  in  three  day's 
time,  and  having  done  so,  would  begin  languishing  for  want  of 
moisture,  and  failing  to  secure  it,  die  in  a  week.  In  this  connection 
note  the  amount  of  absorption  of  water  by  plants  in  the  following 
extract  from  the  Country  Gentleman  under  the  caption  of  "  Import- 
ance of  Water  to  Plants,"  which  appeared  subsequent  to  the  an- 
nouncement of  "  The  New  Agriculture"  to  the  world.  The  italics 
are  ours  : 

"In  experiments  performed  by  Sir.  J.  B.  Lawes  he  found  that 
most  plants  exhaled  during  the  four  or  five  months  of  their  growth 
more  than  200  times  their  dry  weight  of  water,  drawn  up  from  the 
soil  in  which  they  grew.  Dr.  J.  H.  Gilbert  stated  that  the  amount 
of  water  given  off  by  plants  during  growth  might  be  approximately 
estimated  as  equal  to  a  depth  of  three  inches  of  rain  for  every  ton 
of  dry  substance  grown.  Messrs.  Lawes  and  Gilbert  found  by  act- 
ual experiment  that  a  crop  of  hay  growing  on  land  that  had  been 
manured,  and  giving  about  a  ton  and  a  half  per  acre,  evaporated 
two  inches  more  water  than  an  unmanured  crop  of  less  than  a  third 
of  a  ton.  These  two  inches  were  equal  to  200  tons  of  water.  A  heavy 


38  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

crop  of  barley  evaporated  nine  inches,  or  1800  tons  of  water  more 
than  bare  land  lying  alongside.  These  experiments  show  the  im- 
portance of  underdrawing  so  as  to  keep  the  soil  pulverized  and  mellow, 
to  hold  like  a  sponge  the  water  which  falls  on  it,  and  give  it  off  to  growing 
plants  as  they  need  it.  A.  good  growing  crop  keeps  the  soil  in  better 
condition  than  a  soil  without  a  crop,  the  latter  being  easily  flood- 
ed, and  again  parched  by  drought  :  and  without  underdraining, 
either  artificial  or  natural,  the  soil  cannot  be  brought  into  a  good 
condition  to  absorb  and  hold  surplus  water." 

And  yet,  with  all  of  this,  we  reasoned,  the  world  seems  to  have 
gone  stark  mad  in  efforts  to  dry  up  and  carry  off  the  waters,  acting 
on  the  theory  that  better  crops  might  be  thereby  grown. 

Though  we  had  commenced  this  volume  when  Mr.  Stewart's 
work  came  to  hand,  we  laid  by  the  pen,  and  scanned  carefully 
everything  found  in  Mr.  Stewart's  pages.  It  was  a  cornucopia  of 
good  things,  the  fairest,  most  frank  and  undisguised  declaration  of 
faith  we  had  ever  seen  from  the  pen  of  any  one  writing  on  the  sub- 
jects of  irrigation  and  drainage.  We  found  it  invaluable.  Having 
shown  that  in  European  countries,  more  especially  in  the  British 
Isles,  the  rainfall  is  not  only  in  excess  of  the  average  in  America, 
but  also  that  there  is  less  of  sunshine  ;  and  that  the  atmosphere 
being  a  humid  one,  evaporation  is  correspondingly  retarded,  Mr. 
Stewart  continues  : 

"  Our  intense  heats,  cause  a  large  portion  of  the  rainfall  to  be  evap- 
orated directly  from  the  soil,  and  our  copious  summer  rains  are 
seldom  fully  retained,  but  frequently  in  large  part  escape  into 
streams  and  water-courses,  and  are  lost  to  vegetation.  Our  fall, 
winter  and  early  spring  rains,  come  at  times  when  the  crops  de- 
rive the  least  benefit,  or  none  at  all,  from  them.  The  amount  of 
rainfall  that  thus  escapes  paying  tribute  to  our  crops  is  by  far  the 
largest  portion  of  it.  To  estimate  it  at  three-fourths  of  the  whole, 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  39 

would  not  be  unreasonable.  There  would  then  be  left  less  than 
twelve  inches  of  water  to  meet  the  necessities  of  the  growing  crops. 
That  this  sufficiently  accounts  for  the  low  average  of  our  yearly 
production  of  grass  and  grain,  is  not  at  all  improbable.  The  supply 
of  water  then  becomes  the  measure  of  the  fertility  of  our  soil,  and 
our  climate,  subject  to  torrid  drouths  in  the  midst  of  the  growing 
season,  is  the  obstacle  to  success  which  meets  the  farmer,  rather 
than  the  impoverished  soil — a  condition,  indeed,  mainly  due  to  a 
poverty  of  water." 

"  To  remove  this  obstacle  to  successful  cultivation,  it  is  only  nec- 
essary that  a  system  of  irrigation  be  adopted.  An  adequate  sup- 
ply of  water,  ready  for  use  in  case  of  emergency,  will  render  the 
farmer,  the  gardener,  or  the  fruit  grower,  to  a  very  large  extent, 
independent  of  the  vicissitudes  of  the  season,  and  secure,  beyond 
accident,  a  full  reward  for  his  labor.  If,  with  a  system  of  irriga- 
tion, a  proper  system  of  drainage  be  also  adopted,  the  cultivator  of 
the  soil  will  have  removed  two  adverse  influences,  against  which  he 
is  now  called  upon  so  frequently  and  so  ineffectually  to  strive." 

"  To  irrigate  economically  and  successfully,  however,  is  a  business 
which  requires  a  large  amount  of  technical  knowledge  and  skill, 
and  the  expenditure  of  a  considerable  amount  of  capital,  either  in 
money  or  labor.  Irrigation  belongs,  in  fact,  to  a  highly  advanced 
condition  of  agriculture,  and  can  only  be  applied  to  land  of  high 
value  or  capacity  in  the  hands  of  intelligent  owners." 

Now,  here  is  this  eminent  author  of  a  most  remarkable  book, 
wherein  is  found  a  larger  amount  of  research  than  is  combined  in 
all  others  on  a  similar  subject  which  it  has  been  our  fortune  to 
come  across,  reaching  the  conclusion  that  only  by  methods  of  irri- 
gation and  drainage  successfully  combined,  can  the  former  be  made 
advantageous;  and  equally  concluding  that  in  this  way,  and  this 
only,  can  anything  like  a  full  measure  of  production  be  realized; 


40  TEE   SEW   AG1UCULTUKE. 

and  also,  that  to  attempt  to  render  lands  productive  to  a  degree  of 
profit,  not  only  calls  for  an  expenditure  of  a  considerable  amount 
of  capital,  either  in  money  or  labor,  but  that  "  irrigation  belongs,  in 
fact,  to  a  highly  advanced  condition  of  agriculture,  and  can  only 
be  applied  to  land  of  high  value  or  capacity  in  the  hands  of  intelli- 
gent owners." 

We  have  alluded  on  previous  pages  to  the  depressions  of  spirit, 
not  to  say  discouragements,  experienced  for  years  in  pursuit  of 
what  seemed  to  the  world  a  phantom.  While  we  had  found,  here 
and  there,  a  friend  among  the  more  eminent  public  men  of  our 
country,  such  as  Hon.  Warner  Miller,  Hon.  John  Sherman,  Hon. 
Henry  M.  Teller,  and  it  gives  us  pleasure  to  say,  General  Chester 
A.  Arthur,  who,  reading  patiently  letters  addressed  to  them  at 
length  upon  the  subject  matter  of  our  discoveries,  turned  away 
from  public  and  private  duties  to  give  ear  to  what  the  world  at 
large  deemed  an  illusion — we  except  Hon.  C.  R.  Earley,  whose  paper 
on  fungus  will  be  found  further  on  in  this  volume,  also  Hon.  T.  L. 
Minier  of  Elmira,  Hon  J.  H.  Selkreg  of  Ithaca,  and  Hon.  Augustus 
Frank  of  Warsaw — no  expression  could  we  get  from  anybody  calcu- 
lated to  encourage  us  in  the  work  we  had  undertaken.  Among 
the  above  named  gentlemen  Senator  Sherman  alone  was  an  experi- 
enced farmer.  General  Benjamin  Butterworth,  Commissioner  of 
Patents,  gave  patient  hearing,  and  reading  our  letters,  encouraged 
and  cheered  us  by  pleasant  words  doing  the  heart  good. 

When  therefore  on  November  29th,  1883,  we  received  from  Hon. 
William  M.  White,  President  at  that  time  of  our  New  York  State 
Agricultural  Society,  a  letter  unreservedly  .endorsing  our  system, 
words  fail  to  express  the  satisfaction  we  experienced.  We  had 
known  Mr.  White  a  lifetime,  and  had  found  him  standing  squarely 
by  our  side  for  upwards  of  a  quarter  of  a  century,  a  disciple  of 
Horace  Gi-eeley,  in  advocacy  and  defence  of  the  more  advanced 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  41 

ideas  of  that  great  era.  Mr.  White  was  also  the  owner  of  a  thousand 
acres  of  hard  pan  lands,  and  had  stuck  to  them,  and  fortunately 
possesses  them  to-day,  nor  will  he  be  likely  to  part  with  them 
while  the  work  is  progressing  of  demonstrating  to  the  world  that 
such  lands  are  more  valuable  than  any  other  class  of  soils.  To 
this  latter  proposition  we  do  not  expect  that  the  owners  of  bottom 
lands  and  prairies  will  give  ready  assent,  but  they  will  be  forced 
in  the  end  to  admit  the  fact.  To  publish  Mr  "White's  letter  in  full, 
we  cannot.  Here,  however,  is  an  extract : 

"  I  am  happy  to  find  you  interested  in  making  two  blades  of 
grass  to  grow,  where  but  one  grew  before  ;  intent  011  the  useful, 
and  determined  to  make  the  hillside  more  productive  than  the 
valley,  and  what  is  more,  by  seeking  a  patent,  inspire  others  to 
conclude,  that  what  is  worth  patenting,  is  worth  possessing. 
What  a  taking  idea  ?  "  Subterranean  Irrigation,"  an  improvement 
on  Nature's  plan  in  Dakota's  wheat  fields. 

"  I  have  not  a  doubt  that  the  results  will  prove  astonishing,  giv- 
ing three  or  four  feet  of  fertile  and  productive  soil  where  only 
three  or  four  inches  have  been  hitherto  realized,  and  placing  the 
future  of  agriculture  and  horticulture  as  much  ahead  of  the  past, 
as  thousands  are  ahead  of  hundreds. 

"  You  say  you  can  grow  living,  perpetual  springs  by  your  system 
of  deep  trenching,  centering  on  a  lower  plane.  I  get  your  idea, 
one  of  reservoirs,  automatic,  self-acting  and  self-regulating,  water- 
ing the  other  end  of  the  grasses,  feeding  and  watering  vegetation 
at  its  roots,  by  inducing  it  to  reach  down  for  supplies  of  food  and 
drink,  at  the  same  time  attracting  moisture  and  nutrition  from  be- 
low. 

"  That  you  are  right,  I  know,  and  yet  I  fear  you  will  find  the 
average  farmer,  and  even  the  most  enlightened  and  progressive  of 
gardeners,  unprepared  to  accept  your  system  as  one  promising 


42  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

profitable  returns,  on  account  of  the  expense  incurred  in  fitting 
lands  as  you  are  doing.  The  silo  doubles  the  value  of  the  growth 
of  an  acre,  and  yet,  so  long  as  the  old  way  produces  meat  and  milk 
enough  for  the  present  generation,  old  men  and  young  ones  too, 
will,  I  fear,  prefer  the  past  to  the  present  and  future." 

Upwards  of  two  years  have  passed  since  Mr.  White's  letter  was 
received,  and  despite  the  apprehensions  of  the  author  that  our  system 
may  fail  of  early  adoption,  we  confess  to  have  been  made  happy  by 
the  knowledge,  that  while  thousands  and  ten  of  thousands  of  farm- 
ers still  reject  ensilage,  every  day  of  our  life  brings  evidence  of  the 
fact  that  the  new  agriculture  is  steadily  making  headway,  finding 
friends  all  over  the  country,  and  that  no  event  of  the  future  is  more 
certain  than  its  general  adoption.  It  is  this  general  adoption  which 
is  destined  to  demonstrate  its  possibilities.  Not  by  the  trenching 
and  fitting  of  five  or  even  of  ten  acres  can  a  trout  stream  be  grown 
and  yet,  ten  acres  of  trenching  on  any  hillside  having  a  firm  sub- 
soil will  bring  out  a  steady  flowT  of  crystal  waters,  telling  the  most 
wonderful  story  told  since  that  of  Moses  at  Horeb. 

In  THE  AMERICAN  ANGLEK,  of  November  4th,  1884,  occurred  the 
following  lines,  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  H.  H.  Thompson,  an  ardent 
student  and  lover  of  the  woods  and  waters,  and  an  associate  of  Mr. 
~\Vm.  C.  Harris  and  Seth  Green,  in  the  conduct  of  the  above  named 
paper : 

"A  new  era  for  the  brook  trout  is  dawning.  In  these  latter  days 
its  saviour  has  arisen.  A  remarkable  man  stretches  forth  his  wand 
and  trout  streams  are  created.  He  smites  the  hillside  and  a  purling 
brook  or  a  rushing  river  issues  in  never  ceasing  flow  from  its  base. 
He  gathers  the  waters  from  the  clouds,  dews,  and  melting  snows, 
and  after  their  utilization  in  the  production  of  marvellous  results 
in  agriculture  and  horticulture,  releases  them  to  form  a  lake  of  cold 
water  absolutely  pure,  or  a  never  failing  crystal  stream. 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  43 

"  Mr.  A.  N.  Cole,  of  Wellsville,  Allegany  county,  New  York,  lias 
been  sedulously  engaged  for  two  or  three  years  past  in  developing 
at  his  "  Home  on  the  Hillside  "  a  new  system  of  uniform  drainage, 
subterranean  irrigation  and  fertilization,  applicable  to  all  mountain- 
ous, hilly  or  undulatory  sections  having  a  firm  clay  or  hard-pan 
sub-soil.  His  discoveries  and  experiments  have  led  to  most  sur- 
prising results." 

Subsequent  to  the  publication  of  the  above,  and  the  week  pre- 
vious to  an  address  made  by  us  at  the  Cooper  Institute  in  New 
York  City  upon  invitation  of  the  Executive  Committee  of  the 
Farmers'  Club,  of  the  American  Institute,  of  New  York,  the  follow- 
ing communication  was  published  in  THE  AMERICAN  ANGLER,  under 
the  heading  of  "Man  Begotten  Trout  Streams." 
********* 

"  Let  me  state  a  few  facts,  prefacing  with  a  statement  by  way  of 
illustration.  The  fall  of  water  in  overflow  at  our  village  mill  has 
been  capped  completely  with  ice,  hiding  the  water  from  view,  dash- 
ing down  an  apron  at  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees  or  thereabouts. 
The  Genesee,  Chemung,  Canisteo  and  Susquehanna  are  at  many 
points  frozen  to  their  bottoms.  Brooks  issuing  from  springs  are 
frozen  which  never  within  my  knowledge  were  known  to  freeze  be- 
fore. My  spring  brook,  evoked  from  our  hillside,  among  others,  has 
frozen  in  the  prism  of  the  canal  into  which  the  waters  from  my 
trenches  discharge.  This  prism  is  completely  filled  with  ice,  and 
yet,  so  warm  are  the  waters  entering  at  the  bottom  of  the  canal,  they 
find  their  way  out  by  melting  the  ice  above  in  the  coldest  of 
weather.  These  waters  in  trenches  along  my  hillside  are  found  in 
chambers  of  stone  at  a  depth  of  about  three  feet  and  a  half, 
covered  with  an  earth  sponge  of  pure  mold  or  rich  loam.  There 
are  nearly  two  feet  of  snow  along  my  side  hill  on  the  average.  Such 
is  the  effect  from  evaporation  of  the  waters  beneath  at  spring-water 


44  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

temperature,  that  the  snows  melt  at  their  bottoms,  and  their  waters, 
dropping  down  into  the  chambers  of  stone  in  the  trenches,  keep  the 
latter  full  to  the  surface  of  the  subsoil,  and  overflowing  through  the 
surface  soil  as  though  a  sponge,  keeping  the  frost  out  of  the  earth ; 
and  I  find  my  strawberry  plants  growing  green  beneath  the  snow, 
making  the  white  roots,  etc. 

"  And  so  it  is,  that  the  deeper  down  the  waters  are  dropped  the 
warmer  they  become,  and  the  deeper  the  snows  the  warmer  the  soil 
beneath  them,  and  the  more  the  melting  at  their  bottoms  goes  on. 
What  could  be  done  in  countries  like  Labrador,  Alaska,  Greenland, 
Iceland,  etc.,  by  deep  trenching  during  their  short  summers,  I  leave 
to  the  imagination.  To  say  the  least,  if  they  have  the  right  kind  of 
slopes  and  hillsides  in  Canada,  if  that  cold  country  can  be  annexed 
to  the  United  States,  we  will  allow  our  neighbors  of  that  hitherto 
less  hospitable  region  to  come  in  under  our  system  of  protection 
from  the  rule  of  the  Frost  King." 

"  THE  ANGLER  comes  as  a  cheerful  companion,  pointing  back  to 
memories  of  youth.  It  is  a  charming  paper.  Long  may  it  wave. 

A.  N.  COLE. 

Home,  on  the  HUlside,  Wellsville,  N.  Y.,  March  19,  1885. 

In  the  following  quotations  from  our  address  at  Cooper  Union 
the  reader  will  bear  in  mind  that,  on  the  succeeding  morning, 
March  25th,  the  metropolitan  press  teemed  with  mention  of  Dr. 
Edson's  report  touching  the  impurities  of  the  waters  of  the  Croton, 
As  the  briefest  among  these  editorial  articles  and  the  one  coming 
most  directly  to  the  point,  we  quote  from  the  Sun  as  follows: 

"  The  Health  Commissioners  yesterday  considered  Dr.  Edson's  re- 
port of  the  examination  which  has  been  made  of  the  Croton  water- 
shed, but  refused  to  make  it  public.  It  was  learned  that  the  report 
speaks  of  the  rapidly  growing  population  of  the  surrounding  dis- 
trict as  a  source  of  increasing  contamination  of  the  water  supply. 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  45 

Along  the  Croton  River  and  its  tributaries  in  many  places  are 
drains  which  discharge  their  contents  into  the  water.  A  condensed 
milk  factory  at  Brewster's,  containing  100  hands,  and  another  at 
Purdy's  containing  75,  discharge  their  refuse  into  the  water,  and 
the  offal  of  a  slaughter  house  at  Brewster's  goes  the  same  way. 
Other  cases  of  a  similar  nature  on  a  smaller  scale  are  told  of  in  the 
report." 

During  our  remarks,  we  made  use  of  the  following  language. 

"  While  an  attempt  to  trace  my  lines  of  thought,  examination  and 
investigation  into  the  laws  governing  the  movement  of  the  waters 
over,  along,  through  and  beneath  soils,  ultimating  at  length  in  my 
discoveries,  would  doubtless  weary  my  audience,  I  may  be  permit- 
ted to  read  the  following  communication  made  to  the  Farmers' 
Club  of  Elmira  in  confession  of  my  obligations  to  that  body  for 
generous  treatment  received  during  a  discussion  of  the  merits  of 
my  system. 

HOME  ON  THE  HILLSIDE,  WELLSVILLE,  N.Y.,  JULY  31,  1884. 
To  THE  FARMER'S  CLUB,  OF  ELMIRA,  N.  Y. 

"  I  address  you  through  the  Husbandman  to  express  my  gratitude 
and  profound  appreciation  of  the  compliments  so  unexpectedly 
paid  me  by  a  body  whose  proceedings  I  have  been  for  years  noting 
with  deep  interest. 

"  I  have  been  quite  generally  presumed  to  be  one  who  cares  little 
for  any  matter  outside  of  politics,  and  the  tone  of  your  expressions 
while  discussing  the  question  of  questions  with  me,  not  merely  at 
the  present  but  all  along  through  my  life,  touches  my  heart  in  a 
way  I  scarcely  know  how  to  sufficiently  express. 

"  In  no  boastful  spirit  do  I  point  to  the  facts  connected  with  my 
lineage  as  found  epitomized  in  an  article  in  the  Free  Frets,  copies 
of  which  I  send.  From  earliest  childhood,  two  passions  have 
seemed  to  rule  with  me,  the  hatred  of  oppression  and  correspond- 


40  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

ing  love  of  liberty,  and  the  desire  to  see  our  mother  earth  restored 
to  a  condition  akin  to  the  one  pictured  of  Eden. 

"  Do  not  misunderstand  me.  I  would  not  see  earth  made  a  gar- 
den by  the  hand  of  the  Father,  but  holding  as  I  do  that  work  is 
worship,  I  would  have  the  worship  on  the  part  of  the  children  go 
on,  till  nations  becoming  families  and  families  dwelling  each  under 
its  own  vine  and  fig  tree,  shall  make  home,  with  the  farm  and  gar- 
den, an  Eden  of  love  the  world  over. 

"  For  this  disposition,  and  what  I  have  done  and  am  doing  in  the 
direction  suggested,  I  am  entitled  to  neither  honor  nor  riches. 
Riches  I  have  not  gotten,  but  honor  has  come  at  last,  not  in  the 
way  the  world  counts  it,  as  a  rule.  But  your  club  seems  to  be  im- 
pressed with  the  conviction  that,  to  make  money,  I  would  not  have 
recourse  to  deception.  I  surely  would  not,  since  I  could  not  and 
be  myself. 

"  I  have,  indeed,  found  the  way  to  the  new  agriculture  so  fitly 
denominated  by  one  of  your  most  eminent  members,  Mr.  C.  H. 
Lewis.  Nor  the  way  only.  Yes,  I  have  found  the  thing  itself,  and 
no  possible  escape  from  it. 

"  If  I  should  make  money  out  of  my  discoveries  it  will  come  good, 
and  will  be  used,  beyond  the  comforts  and  becoming  adornments 
of  home,  to  do  good  in  all  ways. 

"  I  sought  the  patent,  not  to  place  an  embargo  on  the  glebe,  but 
as  an  incentive  to  improvement  of  the  glebe. 

"  I  was  but  a  boy  in  the  summer  of  1838,  when,  amid  distresses, 
not  merely  of  business,  but  of  drought  almost  without  precedent, 
I  travelled  on  foot  over  a  large  portion  of  Ohio,  canvassing  for  a 
little  horticultural  and  agricultural  monthly,  the  "  Buckeye  Plough- 
boy,"  on  more  than  one  occasion  sleeping  in  the  open  air,  eating 
fruit  by  the  way,  and  shelling  out  the  wheat,  eating  it,  doing  the 
grinding  with  my  then  young  and  firm  teeth. 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  47 

"  It  was  in  the  counties  of  Sandusky,  Huron,  Seneca  and  others 
of  northwestern  Ohio,  where  I  found  fires  sweeping  along  the 
prairies  and  farms,  destroying  crops  and  timber,  the  trees  having 
in  many  instances  dropped  their  foliage  before  their  time.  Water 
was  scarce  for  man  and  beast,  and  pestilence  followed  in  the  track 
of  the  droughts  and  desolation.  Three  hundred  graves  of  fathers, 
mothers  and  children  were  unwet  by  the  rains  at  lower  Sandusky, 
(now  Fremont).  The  scum  upon  the  waters  of  the  river  was  so 
thick  that  squirrels  were  said  to  have  crossed  it  in  droves  without 
wetting  their  feet. 

"  Swamps  and  morasses  were  on  fire  burning  to  a  depth,  in  many 
instances,  reaching  the  rock  from  three  to  six  feet  beneath  the  sur- 
face, since  a  uniform  lime-rock  underlies  whole  counties  of  this 
portion  of  Ohio.  It  was  this  rock  formation  that  especially  attract- 
ed my  attention.  To  obtain  water  from  wells  was  stubborn  work. 
Great  streams  in  some  instances  gushed  out  in  copious  flow,  but 
disappeared  quickly  as  some  deep  fissure  in  the  rock  was  reached  in 
the  flow  of  their  waters. 

"  Thus  early  did  I  begin  the  observation  and  study  of  soils.  Not 
merely  did  I  seek  to  know  the  surface.  In  streams,  dry  in  their 
beds,  and  in  furrows  of  field  and  farm  my  studies  went  on.  The 
subsoils  were  especially  observed. 

"  Whence  came  the  waters  ?  These  I  knew  dropped  down  from 
the  clouds  in  the  form  of  rains,  dews,  frosts  and  snows.  When  it 
came  winter,  I  found  out  the  treasures  of  the  hail.  I  looked 
back  longingly  during  nearly  a  year  of  dreary  discontent  to  the 
leeks  and  onions,  rains  and  dews  and  even  the  drifting  snows  of 
that  Allegany  of  nearly  fifty  years  ago.  I  remembered  the  crystal 
waters  of  the  good-bye  land  I  had  left  for  the  attractions  of  the 
then  great  west,  and  dreamed  dreams  of  grasses  all  green  in  their 
verdure  and  grateful  in  their  juices. 


48  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

"  This  is  a  goodly  land,  I  said  mentally,  and  yet,  without  water 
it  seems  much  like  a  place  we  read  about,  in  no  sense  attractive. 
There  was  no  end  to  my  dreams.  How  can  these  great  seams  in 
the  rocks  be  sealed  ?  was  the  question  uppermost  in  my  mind. 
These  streams  so  abundant  in  flow  along  smooth  rocky  channels, 
I  said  mentally,  in  spring  and  autumn,  are  fearful  to  contemplate 
as  found  amid  the  fervors  of  the  summer  solstice.  Great  rains 
would  come  in  ordinary  seasons,  lasting  at  times  for  days  in  mid- 
summer, and  in  three  days  time  no  desert  was  ever  more  dry. 
Here,  in  favorable  seasons,  was  grown  that  wonderful  white  wheat 
we  used  to  see  in  our  boyhood,  eclipsing  that,  if  possible,  grown  in 
the  valley  of  the  far-famed  Genesee. 

"  This  was  the  school,  added  to  a  few  lessons  learned  in  Michigan, 
then  just  admitted  into  our  Union  as  a  state,  where  I  studied  geol- 
ogy and  geography,  physics,  physiology,  botany  and  other  sciences 
without  number  in  their  application  to  the  constitutions  of  men 
and  animals,  plants,  trees,  grasses,  grains  and  all  else  of  life  in  its 
multitudinous  forms  and  phases. 

"  And  all  along  since  I  have  studied  on,  and  reached  conclusions 
and  demonstrated  them  as  follows: — 

"  1.  The  Father  gives  us  the  rains  and  dews  and  frozen  waters 
in  copious  abundance,  nor  need  any  of  the  sons  and  daughters  of 
men,  nor  beasts  of  the  field,  or  fowl,  or  fish,  or  flesh  in  any  form, 
nor  so  much  as  the  grass  beneath  our  feet  want  for  food  and  drink. 

"  2.  Man,  made  but  little  lower  than  the  angels,  and  monarch  as 
he  is  of  earth,  has  the  ability  to  gather  up  the  waters  in  store  to  be 
used  as  wanted,  controlling  their  flow  as  they  make  their  ways 
adown  to  the  seas,  and  in  facile  direction  so  conduct  them  in  cur- 
rents as  to  make  their  tracks  the  ways  of  pleasantness  and  paths  of 
peace,  at  the  same  time  furnishing  fruitions  to  earth's  inhabitants 
in  basket  and  store  of  measureless  abundance. 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  49 

"  In  the  discussions  indulged  in  on  the  part  of  your  Club  at  date 
of  July  26th,  while  considering  the  systems  of  horticulture  and 
agriculture,  proposed  by  your  correspondent,  the  question  unan- 
swered was  the  one  always  asked  '  will  it  pay  ? ' 

"  That  a  body  of  men  like  yours  should  have  been  found  in  sub- 
stance agreeing  to  every  proposition  I  make  in  urging  the  merits 
of  my  system,  and  that,  too,  when  that  system  proposes  the  most 
startling  of  new  departures,  is  evidence  that  the  world  has  reached 
a  point  where  all  things  seem  possible  with  men  as  with  their 
Maker.  Reading  your  discussions  as  I  do,  you  agree  to  this: — 

"  1.  The  rains  and  dews  and  melting  snows  can  be  gathered  into 
store,  and  in  regions  of  country  where  hard-pan  and  clay  subsoils 
are  found,  so  held  back  or  allowed  to  flow  on  as  to  feed  and  water 
vegetation  in  their  track,  giving  to  all  trees,  plants,  grasses,  grains 
and  other  forms  of  plant  life  what  is  needed  by  way  of  food  and 
drink  in  abundance,  and  never  in  surfeit. 

"  2.  You  agree  that  the  waters  moving  evenly  and  in  uniform 
currents  from  mountain  and  hilltop  along  slopes  and  inclines  till 
the  streams  are  reached,  passing  through  the  soil  in  subterranean 
flow,  bear  with  them  nutrition  for  plants  at  their  roots,  which,  by 
capillary  attraction  are  watered  and  fed  in  conformity  to  the  neces- 
sities of  each  and  all. 

"  3.  You  equally  agree  that  irrigation  and  abundant  supply  of 
food  being  realized,  all  forms  of  plant  growth  will  be  perfectly 
developed. 

"  4.  Again,  you  agree  that  when  my  system  comes  to  be  gen- 
erally adopted,  there  will  be  fewer  floods,  fewer  frosts  of  a  deadly 
character,  and  as  for  droughts  they  need  not  occur  in  regions  of 
country  at  least  underlaid  with  the  prevailing  subsoil  of  the  slopes 
and  inclines  of  the  Southern  Tier,  and  of  other  regions  similarly 
conformed. 


50  THE   XEW   AGBICULTTJKE. 

"  By  way  of  encouragement,  let  me  say  therefore,  that  the  con- 
clusions which  seem  to  have  been  reached  by  your  club  are  those 
arrived  at  by  Hon.  William  M.  White,  President  of  our  State  Agri- 
cultural Society,  Hon.  Warner  Miller,  Chairman  of  the  Committee 
on  Agriculture  of  the  United  States  Senate,  General  Benjamin  But- 
terworth,  Commissioner  of  Patents,  Hon.  Henry  M.  Teller,  Secre- 
tary of  the  Interior,  and,  if  I  am  correctly  informed,  Hon.  Geo.  B. 
Loring,  Commissioner  of  Agriculture,  and  hundreds  of  others,  as 
eminent  in  all  ways  as  the  most  notable  in  our  land. 

"In  conclusion,  let  me  say  that,  all  I  have  claimed  can  be  done, 
and  most  of  it  has  been  done  and  demonstrated  by  myself  ;  the  re- 
sults are  so  wonderful  in  all  ways  as  to  incline  me  to  shrink  from 
their  enumeration  and  specification,  and  yet  here  is  an  epitome. 

"Waters  having  descended  their  incline,  however  impregnated 
or  discolored  at  their  sources,  reach  the  level  of  the  streams  in 
purity,  having  left  all  behind  in  their  track  adapted  to  the  develop- 
ment of  plant  growth. 

"The  stones,  sticks  and  all  else  in  the  soil  inducing  fungus 
growths  at  the  roots  of  plants  being  removed  and  placed  deep 
down  in  the  trenches,  and  manures  having  been  so  composted  with 
lime,  ashes,  salts  and  other  fermentizing  and  assimilating  agencies 
as  to  prevent  germination  of  seeds,  and  completely  destroying  the 
seed  of  fungus,  every  root  of  every  plant  will  be  free  from  disease, 
and  perfect  stalks,  buds,  blossoms  and  fruit  follow,  and  health 
coming  at  all  stages  of  growth,  it  is  transmitted  beyond  to  the 
consumer  not  merely,  but  to  the  seeds  and  germinations  of  future 
plant  growths. 

"Stagnation  of  waters  nowhere  occurring,  health  rather  than 
decay  and  death  will  be  found  in  the  track  of  the  waters.  The 
potatoe  rot  will  be  conquered,  wire  worms  and  the  small  grub 
eating  the  white  roots  of  vegetation  will  largely  if  not  wholly  dis- 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  51 

appear,  and  when  it  comes  to  malaria  with  all  of  its  animalculse 
"in  the  air  above,  the  earth  beneath,  and  the  waters  under  the 
earth,"  these  will  in  their  baneful  infections  pass  away. 

"  Among  our  hills  and  mountains,  springs  will  gush  out  in  purity 
and  permanency,  lakes  be  begotten,  rivers  formed,  and  reservoirs  be 
found  where  none  have  hitherto  been  seen  ;  and  these,  swarming 
with  fish,  will  so  multiply  the  food  products  of  land  and  water  and 
so  improve  them  in  flavor  and  quality,  as  to  eclipse  anything  real- 
ized in  the  past. 

"  But  this  applies  only  to  lands  such  as  are  found  in  the  region 
round  about  us  and  to  similar  subsoils  elsewhere. 

"  On  nearly  all  portions  of  the  world,  outside  of  sea  levels,  by  the 
use  of  tile  and  kindred  appliances  in  the  form  of  troughs  on  the 
elevations  and  slopes  in  which  to  aggregate  the  waters,  all  of 
which  are  provided  for  under  our  system,  the  retention  of  water 
beneath  the  soil  in  its  flow  along  declines  in  subterranean  cur- 
rents, evaporation  through  the  earth  sponge  being  uniform  and  in- 
spiring, the  climates  of  New  Jersey  and  Long  Island,  if  not  of  Dela- 
ware and  Maryland,  will  come  to  New  York  and  New  England. 

"Will  it  pay?  I  answer:  Come  one,  come  all  to  our  "Home  on 
the  Hillside "  and  see  for  yourselves.  My  neighbors  have  seen, 
tested,  feasted  and  felt,  and  my  work  is  before  their  eyes.  Some 
of  your  own  citizens  know  and  realize  what  I  have  demonstrated 
and  accomplished." 

The  balance  of  my  address  at  the  Cooper  Union  in  New  York, 
will  be  found  in  the  following  article  from  THE  AMERICAN  ANGLER  as 
reported  by  its  Managing  Editor  Mr.  Wm.  C.  Harris,  who  was 
present  on  the  occasion  ;  it  appeared  under  the  heading  of  "  The 
Waters  Led  Captive." 

«  On  Tuesday  last,  March  24,  Mr.  A.  N.  Cole,  of  Wellsville,  Allo- 
gariy  County,  N.  Y.,  addressed,  by  invitation,  the  Farmer's  Club  of 


52  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

the  American  Institute,  at  their  semi-monthly  meeting,  on  the  sub- 
ject of  his  'New  Agriculture.'  He  took  his  audience  by  storm, 
nearly  or  quite  every  person  present  pronouncing  his  address  one 
of  the  most  striking  ever  delivered  before  that  body;  convincing, 
apparently,  his  hearers  that  he  had  found  out  the  way  to  grow 
springs,  spring  brooks,  lakes  and  rivers  of  water,  going  to  the 
clouds  for  sources  of  supply  and  gathering  in  the  rains,  dews  and 
waters  from  melting  snows,  '  holding,  husbanding  and  housing '  them 
at  will,  and  moving  them  forward  in  a  way  to  produce  such  results 
in  agriculture  and  horticulture  as  to  astonish  everyone  in  this  age 
of  marvels. 

"  Mr.  Cole  denominated  his  servant  (the  waters)  "Leviathan,"  de- 
clared he  had  him  yoked,  a  hook  in  his  jaw,  and  proposed  to  plow 
with  him  until  paradise  lost  shall  be  regained.  The  people  who 
are  just  at  present  not  only  vexed  in  spirits  about  a  plentiful  sup- 
ply of  Croton,  but  are  fearful  that  our  water  is  being  poisoned  by 
surface  washings,  will,  we  feel  sure,  read  with  interest  the  conclu- 
sion of  Mr.  Cole's  address,  as  follows: 

"And  now,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  having  extended  to  me  a  pa- 
tient and  attentive  hearing,  for  which  thanking  you  once  more, 
permit  me  in  closing  to  say  that  I  have  been  engaged  for  three  or 
four  years  in  demonstrating  the  use  to  be  made  of  the  waters,  and 
have  become  convinced  that  by  gathering  them  in  and  directing 
their  flow  in  subterranean  currents  they  may  be  dropped  deeply 
enough  into  reservoirs  along  inclines  to  hold  them  not  only  in  re- 
serve, but  at  a  temperature  considerably  above  freezing,  keeping 
frost  out  of  the  soil.  To  say  the  least,  in  moderate  winter  weather, 
by  evaporation  through  the  soil,  the  snows  will  be  melted  at  their 
bottoms,  and  the  waters  dropping  into  the  reservoirs  below,  their 
movement  will  follow  in  even  flow  through  surface  soils,  as 
through  a  sponge,  and  through  subsoils  in  percolation,  bearing 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  53 

with  them  inspirations  to  plant  growth,  having  an  influence  as  yet 
scarcely  dreamed  of. 

"  It  is  not  only  subsurface,  subterranean  or  underground  irriga- 
tion which  is  realized  in  perfection  under  operation  of  the  methods 
governing  in  my  system,  but  a  perfect  method  of  drainage  also, 
carrying  off  the  surplus  waters  and  leaving  to  mother  earth  the 
work  of  elaboration,  and  to  plants  their  selections  of  food  and  de- 
sired fill  of  drink,  always  in  abundance,  and  never  in  surfeit. 

"  The  time  has  come  when  around  and  about  every  home  of  our 
entire  land  the  work  should  begin  of  subsurface  or  underground 
irrigation  and  drainage.  If  on  slopes  and  inclines,  with  firm  sub- 
soils and  an  abundance  of  stone,  the  work  can  be  readily  and  econ- 
omically done.  If  the  soils  are  porous,  then  should  clay  or  cement 
be  used  in  construction  of  reservoirs  and  inclines,  and  the  form  of 
tile,  to  which  recourse  may  be  had,  has  only  to  be  shaped  for  the 
work  in  hand,  when  yoking  of  "  Leviathan  "  will  be  begun  in  a  way 
to  demonstrate  what  he  is  capable  of  doing. 

"  Suffice  it  to  say  that  were  the  slopes  on  the  east  and  west  banks 
of  the  Hudson  thus  generally  trenched  and  fitted,  your  great  and 
grand  river  would  show  a  steady  current  of  pure  spring  water 
moving  down  to  the  ocean,  regardless  of  droughts  or  removal  of 
the  forests,  so  defying  diminution  of  its  tides  as  to  make  navigation 
of  any  portion  of  its  channel,  even  in  midsummer,  a  something  un- 
necessary to  provide  otherwise  for.  You  will  find  the  begetting  of 
lakes  at  any  altitude  chosen  among  the  mountains,  hills  and  valleys 
of  the  counties  of  Albany,  Columbia,  Schenectady,  Schoharie, 
Montgomery,  Herkimer,  Dutchess,  Putnam,  Greene  and  Ulster, 
not  to  mention  others  farther  north,  not  only  a  pastime  but  a 
profit,  of  which  not  one  in  a  million  of  the  American  people  yet 
dream.  You  will  find  that  growing  of  crystal  springs,  and  beget- 
ting of  rivulets  and  rivers  of  water  is  a  something  as  easy  of 


54  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

accomplishment  as  the  sinking  of  a  well,  or  of  an  ordinary  cistern. 

"  You  will  find  the  grasses  of  your  dooryards  and  lawns  and  the 
plants  in  your  gardens  greenly  growing  and  making  root  all  winter 
beneath  the  snows;  and  the  snows  melting  at  their  bottoms,  the 
waters  will  find  their  way  to  bases  of  slopes  at  temperature  several 
degrees  above  freezing.  You  wrill  find  water,  evolved  on  and  out 
from  your  lakes,  hung  up  along  your  hillsides  sufficient  to  provide 
all  of  reserve  needed  to  hold  the  Hudson  at  high  tide  during  every 
month  of  the  year;  and,  applying  like  principles  to  what  has  been 
denominated  the  Great  American  desert,  you  will  see  gathered  in 
those  torrents  of  water  continually  descending  the  slopes  of  the 
Sierras  and  Rockies,  coming  of  melting  snows  and  passing  on 
from  trench  to  trench,  borne  down  mountain  sides,  across  plain, 
and  descending  into  valleys,  nowhere  appearing  on  the  surface, 
except  as  man  may  direct,  making  confluence  with  the  rivers  in 
purity  and  perpetuity  of  flow. 

"  You  will  find  surface  and  subsoils  alike  made  softer,  more 
porous  and  spongy,  alkali  extracted  or  again  infused,  salts,  ammonia, 
etc.,  evenly  diffused,  fertilization  perfected,  and  production  in- 
creased to  a  degree  beyond  computation.  You  will  find  hundreds, 
yea,  thousands  of  trees  growing,  giving  shade  and  bearing  fruits 
to  where  one  is  being  felled  by  the  woodman's  axe,  and  clouds 
forming  and  rains  and  dews  descending  in  hitherto  rainless  and 
treeless  regions.  The  English  grasses,  growing  greenly  all  over 
our  southland  amid  the  fervors  of  the  summer  solstice,  will  give 
to  our  brethren  of  that  section  the  milk  and  honey,  butter  and 
cheese,  and  other  like  products  of  our  graver  north  lands.  By  way 
of  experiment,  try  this  method  on  the  dooryards,  lawns,  gardens, 
etc.,  about  your  houses,  and  let  your  city  fathers  look  into  it  and 
make  up  their  minds  to  have  babbling  brooks,  with  occasional  cas- 
cades, dropping  waters  crystal-clear  into  miniature  lakes  of  the  parks 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  55 

and  places  already  existing,  and  steadily  multiplying,  in  and  about 
New  York,  Brooklyn  and  other  towns  in  circuit,  and  see  what  will 
come  of  it.  Lest "  Leviathan  "  be  underrated  as  regards  his  powers, 
let  lakes  everywhere  be  hung  up  among  the  rocks  and  mountains 
of  New  England,  and,  by  use  of  the  water  motor,  let  the  wheels 
moving  the  mills,  factories,  foundries  and  workshops  of  that  region 
be  run  under  the  force  and  impulse  of  his  self-begotten,  auto- 
matic, self-regulating,  unfed,  unwatered,  yoked,  tamed  and  magic 
movements — and  so  shall  the  harvest  be." 

The  following  discussion  of  our  system  by  the  Farmer's  Club  of 
Elmira,  N.  T.,  occurred  at  a  meeting  on  July  26,  1885,  and  was 
fully  reported  in  the  columns  of  The  Husbandman  of  Elmira,  from 
which  it  is  now  transcribed  : 

"  In  the  discussion  of  the  subject  of  Mr.  Cole's  system  by  the 
Farmer's  Club  of  Elmira,  at  its  weekly  meeting  of  July  26th,  the 
following  report  published  in  The  Husbandman,  demonstrates  the 
interest  manifested  in  it : 

"  On  the  call  for  correspondence  the  Secretary  read  a  letter  de- 
scribing a  new  system  of  irrigation.  Although  it  had  not  been  ad- 
dressed directly  to  the  Club,  and  the  writer  perhaps  had  no  thought 
that  it  would  be  submitted  for  discussion,  it  seemed  pertinent,  and, 
in  fact,  was  invited  by  members  to  whom  a  synopsis  had  been 
given,  and  they  gave  attentive  hearing  during  the  reading,  for  the 
matters  presented  were  calculated  to  excite  interest  in  the  minds 
of  farmers  whose  hill  lands  of  obstinate  soil  and  under  ordinary 
treatment  failed  to  give  due  returns  for  labor  expended  in  fitting 
them  for  grain  and  grass  crops.  The  first  expressions  were  by 
gentlemen  who  had  personal  acquaintance  with  Mr.  Cole,  and  who 
evinced  pleasure  in  testifying  to  his  worth  as  a  citizen  and  his  high 
sense  of  honor.  They  believe  he  would  not  lay  before  the  people  a 
scheme  to  defraud  a  single  farmer,  no  matter  how  much  profit  he 


56  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

might  reap  from  the  transaction.  Mr.  Lewis  was  particularly  warm 
in  his  expressions  of  regard,  and  referring  to  matters  embraced  in 
the  letter  he  said  : 

" '  We  all  know  that  it  is  possible  to  increase  crops  four-fold  by 
irrigation,  taking  as  the  standard  the  average  yields  on  lands  that 
are  subject  to  extremes  of  drought  and  wet,  and  our  clay  lands  are 
nearly  all  of  this  character.  I  have  seen  an  illustration  on  my  own 
land  of  the  principle  embraced  in  Mr.  Cole's  system  where  a  ridge 
held  an  accumulation  of  water  from  rains  until  it  could  slowly  pass 
through  and  furnish  moisture  for  plants  growing  below.  Their 
growth  was  two  or  three  times  as  great  as  on  other  portions  of  the 
field  of  like  character  where  moisture  was  not  provided  at  the  right 
time.  If  we  can,  by  any  system,  hold  back  the  surplus  water  that 
comes  from  rains  and  snows, — water  that  usually  runs  over  the 
surface  to  the  nearest  creek  or  river — and  let  it  out  just  at  the  time 
when  the  plants  need  it,  I  am  confident  that  we  can  reap  harvests 
uniform  in  excellence  and  always  full.  The  question  to  be  consid- 
*  ered  is — can  we  afford  to  inaugurate  the  system  and  carry  it  to 
completion  when  its  cost  will  add  greatly  to  the  investment,  mak- 
ing the  farm  cost,  let  us  say,  twice  as  much  as  before  the  improve- 
ment ?  I  think  the  expense  may  be  afforded  with  proper  manage- 
ment, and  that  its  gradual  improvement,  so  that  a  piece  of  land 
treated  by  this  system  may  give  profits  to  be  applied  to  the  im- 
provement of  more  land.  If  we  were  required  to  treat  our  hillsides 
in  the  way  proposed  all  at  once,  there  is  not  money  enough  in  this 
county  to  effect  the  improvement,  but  with  a  very  small  part  of  the 
money  that  would  be  required  to  do  the  whole  work  we  can  begin 
and  then  use  the  profits  to  carry  forward  the  work.  I  believe  the 
time  is  coming,  and  is  not  far  distant,  when  the  face  of  the  earth 
will  be  changed  and  a  new  agriculture,  more  profitable  than  ours, 
will  be  open  to  every  farmer.  I  believe  the  ingenuity  of  man  will 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  57 

devise  ways  by  which  every  acre  that  we  now  cultivate  will  be 
made  to  produce  two  or  three  times  as  much  as  we  get  from  it 
now.  That  will  be  our  new  agriculture.  Perhaps  this  system  dis- 
covered by  Mr.  Cole  is  the  first  step  toward  the  general  improve- 
ment. 

"  G.  S.  McCann.  If  we  can  adopt  any  plan  that  will  increase 
crops  to  two  or  three  times  present  yield  we  can  afford  considera- 
ble expense  to  effect  the  improvement.  It  is  not  so  much  a  matter 
of  cost  in  the  outset  as  returns  afterwards. 

"  W.  A.  Armstrong.  That  is  the  right  way  to  view  the  new  sys- 
tem. First,  ascertain  by  actual  inspection  of  the  grounds  treated 
by  Mr.  Cole  two  or  three  years  ago  what  improvement  is  effected, 
what  advantage  is  already  seen;  in  fact,  get  full  information  from, 
every  available  source.  Now  suppose  his  estimate  of  cost  be  taken 
at  $200  or  $250  to  the  acre.  Manifestly  it  will  not  be  within  the 
range  of  possibilities  for  farmers  generally  to  improve  fifty  or  a 
hundred  acres  in  a  single  season  at  such  great  cost.  But  take 
another  view,  premising  of  course  that  benefits  received  will  repay 
the  outlay.  Take  one  acre  and  treat  it  by  this  system.  Suppose 
its  profits  in  annual  crops  are  one-fifth  of  the  cost  required  to  pro- 
vide irrigation.  Why  plainly  in  five  years  the  profit  will  provide 
funds  for  treating  another  acre.  Then  there  will  be  two  acres  to 
yield  profits,  and  accumulation  of  gain  would,  in  a  few  years,  pro- 
vide for  treating  an  extensive  field.  Sometimes  it  is  advantageous 
for  farmers  to  lay  out  a  good  deal  of  money  in  improvements,  even 
when  the  money  must  be  borrowed.  As  for  instance  suppose  a 
field  never  does  more  than  return  cost  of  labor  expended  on  it. 
The  land  may  have  cost  a  hundred  dollars  an  acre,  but  if  it  will 
produce  nothing  more  than  fair  compensation  for  labor  employed 
on  it,  the  value  is  nothing,  because  the  labor  can  be  sold  for  the 
money  without  waiting  for  crops  to  grow,  or  it  might  be  employed 


58  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

on  other  portions  of  the  farm  where  it  would  secure  fuller  returns. 
But  if  this  field,  by  a  proper  system  of  improvement  can  be  made 
to  pay  a  large  profit,  not  only  on  the  money  expended  in  improve- 
ment but  on  the  original  cost  of  the  land,  and  also  on  the  labor 
employed  in  cultivation,  why,  to  the  dullest  mind  the  argument  in 
favor  of  making  the  improvement  will  be  very  plain.  That  there 
are  such  fields  on  a  great  majority  of  our  hill  farms,  there  can  be 
no  doubt.  When  we  find  the  new  agriculture,  of  which  Mr.  Lewis 
speaks,  we  shall  find  these  lands  improved  by  some  system  and  the 
gain  to  farmers  who  now  own  them  will  be  very  great. 

"  C.  H.  Lewis.  That  is  precisely  what  I  am  looking  for.  My 
farm  is  mainly  heavy  soil  that  has  cost  a  great  deal  of  labor  to 
bring  to  its  present  condition  where  some  profit  can  be  derived  by 
cultivation.  But  developement  is  not  completed.  I  suppose  that 
after  all  the  years  I  have  spent  in  trying  to  improve  my  farm  it 
may  be  worth  $50  per  acre.  Now  if  it  could  be  improved  by  Mr 
Cole's  plan,  as  I  believe  it  might,  it  would  bring  better  profits  on 
$500  per  acre  than  it  does  now  on  $50.  If  this  supposition  be  cor- 
rect it  would  be  wise  economy  to  expend  a  large  sum  of  money  on 
every  acre  to  bring  it  to  the  highest  state  of  production.  I  dare 
say  that  $100  or  $200  expended  on  an  acre  might,  in  the  course  of 
eight  or  ten  years,  put  into  my  pocket  a  great  deal  larger  sum  of 
profit  than  I  can  have  by  cultivating  the  land  as  it  now  is,  and  the 
gain  after  the  original,  cost  is  returned,  would  be  all  profit." 

The  foregoing  is  only  a  portion  of  the  discussion  upon  the  occa- 
sion, the  members  participating  in  it  being  its  President,  Mr. 
Cann,  its  Secretary,  Mr.  Armstrong,  Editor  of  the  Husbandman  and 
others,  several  of  the  number  being  among  the  first  farmers  of  the 
Chemung  Valley.  Such  was  the  tone,  of  the  discussion  throughout 
as  to  cheer  our  heart  and  strengthen  our  determination  to  speak 
out  boldly,  and  tell  what  we  had  found  out.  This  we  began  doing, 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  59 

and  yet,  so  startling  were  our  statements,  and  so  far  short  had  we 
yet  come  of  a  satisfactory  demonstration,  that  we  went  slowly, 
proceeding  step  by  step,  fortifying  as  we  progressed.  Not  all  of 
the  members  of  our  family,  nor  so  much  as  a  single  individual 
among  our  more  intimate  neighbors  and  friends  were  able  to 
understand  us,  so  complete  was  the  revolution  impending.  Then 
too,  we  may  as  well  confess  it,  faithful  friends  never  before  doubt- 
ing, felt  that  we  were  deceiving  ourself,  over  confident,  and  were 
spending  money  in  a  way  that  would  never  return.  That  our 
credit  correspondingly  suffered  is  a  fact  we  may  as  well  confess. 

At  this  juncture,  through  the  kind  consideration  of  President 
Arthur  and  the  Hon.  Henry  M.  Teller,  Secretary  of  the  Interior, 
both  of  whom  had  know  us  a  lifetime  and  had  taken  a  deep  interest 
in  our  discoveries,  we  received  a  commission  sending  us  to  the 
Pacific  Coast,  to  examine  the  last  completed  link  of  the  Northern 
Pacific  Railroad.  This,  though  helping  to  the  extent  of  less 
than  a  thousand  dollars,  came  at  the  time  most  needed,  enabling 
us  to  go  forward  with  the  work  of  demonstration.  Before  going  on 
our  official  western  visit,  we  assured  the  President  and  Secretary 
that  we  had  no  doubt  whatever  that  such  were  the  nature  of  our 
discoveries,  that  were  our  system  to  be  applied  to  the  reclamation 
of  the  lands  belonging  to  the  government  in  that  desolate  region 
denominated  the  Great  American  desert,  these  could  be  made  as 
generally  productive  as  those  of  other  sections  of  our  country, 
now  thickly  populated,  and  in  certain  portions,  vastly  more  produc- 
tive. Going  out,  and  returning,  we  were  convinced,  beyond  the 
shadow  of  a  doubt  that  millions  of  acres  of  the  lands  skirting 
that  greatest  of  lines,  the  Northern  Pacific  Railway,  as  seen  along 
mountain  sides,  plateaus,  plains  and  valleys  found  in  treeless  and 
rainless  regions  could  be  completely  reclaimed,  and  made  as  fertile 
and  productive  as  those  of  the  most  favored  countries  of  earth. 


GO  THE   HEW   AGRICULTURE. 

Reaching  home,  about  the  tenth  of  May  1884,  all  went  hope- 
fully on  for  a  while,  till  came  that  fearful  blizzard,  not  soon  to  be 
forgotten,  about  the  last  of  the  month,  and  so  chilling  our  expect- 
ations as  to  bring  us  near  to  discouragement.  It  was  while  journey- 
ing to  the  Pacific  coast  that  we  had  occasion  for  a  few  hours  to  look 
squarely  in  the  face  a  champion  blizzard,  gotten  up  at  Manitoba's 
best,  leaving  no  room  for  doubt  as  regards  the  place  where,  congel- 
ation putting  on  the  intense,  "the  frozen  waters  gendered  are." 
"Whether  the  one  which  struck  western  New  York  and  other  sec- 
tions in  the  East  and  "West  on  the  29th  of  May,  1884,  has  been 
equalled  in  the  memory  of  the  oldest  inhabitant  is  doubtful.  No 
more  decisive  test  of  the  efficacy  of  our  system  as  protection 
against  frost  could  have  been  applied.  The  ground  was  frozen  to 
the  depth  of  from  one  to  two  inches  on  all  plowed  lands  upon  our 
fifty  acres  outside  of  the  acre  and  a  quarter  at  that  time  per- 
fected in  trenching  under  our  system.  In  the  latter,  evaporation 
of  spring  water  through  the  soil  was  such  as  to  prevent  freezing, 
and  the  damage  to  our  garden  was  correspondingly  mitigated. 
Our  strawberries  were  much  injured  by  the  frost  striking  the  buds 
and  blossoms,  and  the  currants  were  killed  at  the  tops  but  not  at 
the  bottoms  of  the  bushes.  The  result  was,  damage,  but  by  no 
means  that  total  loss  of  the  crops  experienced  by  farmers  and 
gardners  in  western  New  York  generally.  This  convinced  us  that 
our  system  is  proof  against  the  effects  of  frost  to  a  degree  that 
makes  it,  in  this  particular,  worth  millions  annually  to  regions  sub- 
ject to  disaster  from  this  source. 

It  was  a  consolation  to  know  that  our  system  had  proven  in 
some  degree  protective  against  Manitoba's  champion  blizzard,  and 
yet,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  we  had  gotten  up  great  expectations, 
confident  of  being  able  to  show  to  the  world  the  wonder  workings 
of  our  system  to  an  extent  coming  so  near  to  demonstration  as  to 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  61 

make  our  way  clear  to  immediate  success,  such  were  the  effects  of 
frost  upon  our  grounds  as  to  cause  us  to  feel  that  we  wished  no- 
body to  come  and  see  till  another  season.  Many  came,  neverthe- 
less during  the  summer,  and  in  no  instance  did  anyone  go  away 
unconvinced.  Individuals  came  without  number,  chief  among 
them  being  Mr.  J.  Austin  Shaw  of  Rochester,  and  Mr.  D.  C.  Hop- 
kins, of  the  Almond  Fruit  Farm,  both  saying  pleasant  things  and 
doing  all  that  was  possible  to  cheer  and  encourage  us  to  persever- 
ance in  the  work  we  had  undertaken.  In  the  meantime,  a  few 
brave  men  among  our  Allegany  county  farmers,  having  organized 
a  club,  had  so  far  gotten  a  start  with  their  organization  as  to  make 
themselves  felt  all  over  our  county.  Discussion  of  the  merits  of 
our  system  had  begun  in  a  lively  way,  the  news  getting  out  that 
our  patent  had  been  allowed.  The  good  effects  were  immediate, 
prompting  the  Allegany  Farmers'  Club  to  appoint  a  committee  to 
visit  our  grounds,  and  examine  into  the  merits  of  our  system.  The 
committee  came,  and  after  spending  several  hours  in  examining  in- 
to our  work  and  noting  results,  reached  conclusion  as  follows : 

WELLSVILLE,  Aug.  11,  1884 
MR,  A.  N.  COLE: 

The  undersigned  committee,  representing  the  Farmers'  Club  of 
Allegany  county,  having  examined  the  plot  of  ground  fitted  under 
your  improved  system  of  subterranean  drainage,  irrigation  and  fer- 
tilization, take  pleasure  in  assuring  the  public  that  our  observa- 
tions justify  us  in  concluding  that  you  are  enabled  to  realize  all 
you  claim  to  accomplish  by  that  system. 
E.  E.  HYDE,  Belmont,  JAS.  S.  WILCOX,  Belmont, 

C.  A.  WINDUS,     "  I  P.  TRUMAN, 

D.  H.  NORTON,  Friendship. 

This  committee  was  as  ably  constituted  as  any  one  of  equal  number 
that  could  be  chosen  from  the  membership  of  any  like  organization 


62 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 


in  our  State.  Two  of  them,  to  wit :  Messrs.  Truman  and  Hyde  being 
physicians,  while  Messrs,  Wilcox,  "Windus  and  Norton  are  among  the 
most  successful  of  Allegany  farmers,  the  latter  at  this  time  President 
of  the  county  club.  Hon.  B.  F.  Langworthy,  widely  known  in  Alle- 
gany and  adjoining  counties  as  a  gentleman  of  rare  enterprise 
and  intelligence,  one  of  the  most  substantial  and  successful  of  Alle- 
gany farmers,  came  about  the  same  time,  and  making  careful  ex- 
amination, pronounced  the  new  agriculture  the  way  to  success.  It 
was  the  year  before,  that  Mr.  J.  F.  Langworthy  came,  and  about 
the  same  time  also  Mr.  D.  C.  Hopkins,  of  the  Almond  Fruit 
Farm,  both  of  whom  formed  favorable  conclusions  touching  the  in- 
fluence of  subsurface  irrigation  on  fruit  trees,  as  shown  by  the  sin- 
gle apple  tree  left  standing  on  our  grounds  at  the  time  trenching 
was  begun. 

On  the  first  of  July,  1885,  the  "Home  on  the  Hillside  "  was  visited 
by  Dr.  J.  P.  Roberts^  now  of  Ithaca,  N.  Y.,  who  has  in  charge  the 
University  Farm,  at  Cornell,  N.  Y.,  an  agriculturist  having  a  na- 
tional reputation.  Layman,  as  we  are,  though  having  faith  amount- 
ing to  sight  in  our  system,  we  felt  nevertheless,  a  trifle  anxious 
lest  this  most  eminent  of  farm  doctors  might  discover  defects  in 
our  system  as  to  the  conformation  of  soils,  methods  of  fertilizing, 
or  in  other  particulars  of  a  serious  nature,  hence  we  were  especi- 
ally gratified,  when  he  uttered  his  opinion  as  follows  : 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Cole,  you  do  all  you  claim  to  accomplish ;  you  gather 
the  waters  into  your  reservoirs  and  pass  them  through  the  soil 
rather  than  leaving  them  to  run  riot  along  the  surface;  you  trans- 
form this  hitherto  shunned  and  dreaded  hardpan  into  soft,  porous, 
productive  and  best  of  soils  to  the  depth  of  your  trenches,  thereby 
enabling  the  roots  of  vegetation  to  descend  deeply  into  the  earth. 
You  remove  the  stone  operating  as  obstructions  and  diseasing  the 
roots  of  plants,  and  put  them  where  they  will  do  most  good;  you  pro- 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  65 

vide  against  floods  and  droughts,  and  to  a  great  extent,  if  not 
wholly,  defeat  the  effects  of  frost,  but  in  doing  this,  it  seems  to  me 
that  you  are  digging  your  trenches  much  wider  than  necessary, 
and  it  would  be  better  to  sink  them  deeper,  thus  avoiding  unne- 
cessary cost,  and  at  the  same  time  making  warm,  soft,  porous  and 
productive  soil  to  greater  depth." 

In  discussing  this  point,  the  Professor  told  a  story  of  his  experi- 
ence while  in  Iowa  of  tracing  the  roots  of  clover  in  their  descent 
in  a  gravel  bank,  beating  the  one  told  us  by  Horace  Greeley  as  re- 
garded the  descent  of  the  roots  of  trees  to  a  depth  of  twenty-two 
feet  to  reach  the  waters  of  a  river  in  subterranean  flow.  Mr.  Gree- 
ley made  his  statement  as  one  of  information  and  belief,  coming 
from  credible  witnesses  in  California,  while  Professor  Roberts  based 
his  statement  upon  personal  knowledge  of  the  fact  that,  in  order  to 
reach  water,  clover  roots  descended  to  a  depth  of  either  eight  or 
eighteen  feet.  (We  are  quite  sure  it  was  the  latter  depth  but  as 
we  may  have  misunderstood  him,  we  will  therefore  refer  the  public 
to  the  author  of  this  last  story  to  say  whether  it  was  eight  or  eigh- 
teen feet  that  the  clover  roots  found  their  way  into  the  earth.) 
Whether  eight,  or  eighteen,  it  is  safe  to  conclude  that  the  tops  of 
that  clover  corresponded  to  the  length  and  strength  of  the  roots. 
Having  settled  this  point,  every  reader  will  not  fail  to  discover  the 
reason  why  there  is  now  growing  and  ripening  in  our  garden  in 
boundless  profusion  more  bushels  of  luscious  strawberries  to  the 
acre  than  the  average  fanner  grows  of  potatoes,  and  that  these  are 
in  hundreds  of  instances,  the  size  of  ordinary  peaches.  Consider- 
able numbers  of  these  berries  measure  from  four  to  eight  inches  in 
circumference.  We  have  decided,  as  suggested  by  Dr.  Roberts,  to 
go  down  a  little  deeper,  sinking  our  trenches  from  three  to  four 
feet  into  the  subsoil,  and  arranging  all  overflow  trenches  beneath 
the  surface  soil  out  of  reach  of  the  deepest  spading  or  plowing. 


66  THE   XEW   AGRICULTURE. 

A  memorable  clay  was  the  7th  of  July,  1885,  the  one  upon  which 
occurred  the  formal  introduction  of  our  system  to  the  world.  We 
are  now  writing  at  the  date  of  August  3rd,  1885.  On  Wednesday, 
July  30th,  Mr.  William  C.  Harris,  Editor  in  Chief  of  the  AMERICAX 
AXGLER,  published  at  252  Broadway,  New  York  City,  made  us  a 
visit.  He  spent  a  day  with  us,  looking  over  our  system  in  detail 
and  gave  decision  as  follows  :  "  The  New  Agriculture  "  is  the  way 
to  a  new  earth  with  pure  waters  and  healthy  plants  and  peoples," 
adding  "Brothers  Cole  and  Thompson  are  right  about  it,  the 
brook  trout  must  not  go,  and  will  not  go." 

Below  will  be  found  an  extract  from  the  correspondence  of  the 
Buffalo  Express,  second  in  circulation  and  influence  to  no  paper  in 
our  State  outside  of  the  metropolis,  it  appearing  on  the  day  suc- 
ceeding our  exhibit,  July  8th. 

"  Yesterday  was  a  notable  day  for  Wellsville,  or  at  least  for  one 
of  its  most  widely-known  inhabitants.  Nestled  away  among  the 
ragged  Allegany  hills,  this  snug  town  of  about  4,000  people  has  in 
common  with  the  rest  of  the  world,  its  ambitions  and  its  celebri- 
ties. The  particular  industry  that  yesterday  took  a  long  stride 
toward  popular  recognition  and  favor  is  one  growing  up  on  the 
western  hill  of  the  town,  and  is  known  as  Cole's  system  of  under- 
ground irrigation.  Reckoned  either  as  a  freak  or  curiosity,  or 
better  than  both  of  these,  as  a  step  into  the  next  century  in  the 
domain  of  agriculture,  this  little  plot  of  five  acres  of  land,  only 
two  of  which  are  as  yet  developed,  will  bear  the  closest  inspection 
of  either  the  skeptic  or  the  willing  convert. 

"  But  perhaps  everybody  is  not  aware  of  the  system,  now  under 
practical  trial,  which  promises  to  revolutionize  the  world's  agricul- 
ture, nay,  according  to  its  enthusiastic  author,  has  already  done  so. 
Some  four  years  ago  Mr.  A.  N.  Cole,  better  known  as  the  "  father 
of  the  Republican  party  "  and  the  veteran  editor  of  the  Wellsville 


THE  NEW   AGRICULTURE.  67 

Free  Press,  began  to  put  in  operation  a  system  of  agriculture 
based  on  underground  irrigation,  an  idea  entirely  his  own.  He 
had  been  studying  the  system  a  number  of  years  before  that  time, 
but  had  not  until  then  carried  it  into  practice.  There  were  draw- 
backs that  need  not  be  mentioned  here  and  there  was,  of  course, 
a  town  full  of  people  who  laughed  at  the  idea  as  a  crazy  notion 
sure  to  come  to  nothing.  But  Mr.  Cole  persevered,  and  it  is  safe 
to  say  that  yesterday  he  was  able  to  demonstrate  his  success  so 
entirely  as  to  ensure  him  the  title  of  the  proudest  man  in  western 
New  York  and  perhaps  out  of  it  as  well." 

From  beginning  to  end  of  a  two  column  article,  commendatory 
throughout,  the  correspondent  of  The  Express  drew  a  faithful 
picture  of  what  he  saw  on  this  occasion. 

We  now  give  the  report  of  Mr.  Charles  A.  Green,  sent  to  our 
place  as  special  correspondent  of  the  New  York  Tribune.  In  mak- 
ing the  report  Mr.  Green  dates  his  letter  at  Clifton,  July  8th,  on 
the  day  succeeding  our  exhibition: 

"  A  short  ride  from  Rochester  up  the  Genesee  Valley  among 
promising  grain  fields,  fragrant  meadows  and  shady  pastures,  and 
another  hour  along  the  southern  tier  bring  me  to  a  prosperous, 
hill-girt  village,  lying  like  a  speckled  egg  in  a  bird's  nest.  In  this 
pretty  village  of  Wellsville  is  the  home  of  Mr.  A.  N.  Cole,  the  vet- 
eran editor  and  horticultural  experimenter.  His  residence  is 
situated  on  an  eastern  slope  commanding  views  of  the  village  and 
surrounding  country.  I  found  here  a  company  of  about  100 
gentlemen,  ministers,  politicians,  physicians,  the  press  and  neigh- 
bors, who,  like  The  Tribune  correspondent,  had  been  invited  to  wit- 
ness the  results  of  "The  New  Agriculture,"  as  Mr.  Cole  has  named 
his  new  method  of  irrigation.  Mr.  Cole  expressed  his  pleasure  at 
seeing  The  Tribune  represented,  and  remarked  that  it  was  Horace 
Greeley  who  gave  him  his  first  insight  into  this  method  of  agri- 


68  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

culture,  by  relating  the  peculiarities  of  a  section  of  country  in 
California.  Near  Los  Angeles  a  river  disappeared  from  view  and 
followed  a  subterranean  course  for  a  distance  of  twenty-two  miles 
on  an  average  of  twenty  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  soil.  The 
land  surrounding  this  portion  of  country  was  a  desert,  but  that 
immediately  over  the  subterranean  river  was  covered  with  luxur- 
ious vegetation.  He  also  spoke  of  a  similar  mysterious  disappear- 
ance of  a  river  in  the  Mesilla  Valley,  New  Mexico.  It  was  the 
knowledge  of  these  lost  rivers,  he  said,  that  gave  birth  to  the  ideas 
which  have  grown  into  "The  New  Agriculture."  In  speaking  of 
the  remarkable  growth  over  these  rivers,  Mr.  Greeley  mentioned 
the  fact  that  vegetables  and  trees  growing  there,  sent  their  roots 
down  until  they  reached  the  river  water  beneath.  Mr.  Cole 
says  that  Professor  Roberts,  of  Ithaca,  has  told  him  that  he 
has  traced  red  clover  roots  to  a  depth  of  eighteen  feet, 
that  wTere  growing  in  a  bed  of  gravel  overlying  water. 

"  Mr.  Cole  has  been  studying  irrigation  since  he  was  seventeen 
years  old,  but  his  present  system  flashed  upon  him  within  the  past 
few  years.  He  has  not  yet  extended  his  working  model  over  more 
than  two  to  three  acres.  I  shall  attempt  to  explain  what  I  saw, 
and  to  state  the  claims  of  Mr.  Cole  as  clearly  as  I  can,  considering 
our  brief  and  frequently  interrupted  conversation. 

"  "We  were  first  shown  a  patch  of  strawberries  containing  nearly 
two  aci*es.  These  plants  were  grown  in  hills  about  eighteen  inches 
apart  each  way,  mulched  with  forest  leaves,  liberally  fertilized 
with  yard  manure,  and  irrigated  after  the  new  method.  I  was 
told  by  the  former  owner  of  the  hillside  that  when  he  sold  it  to 
Mr.  Cole  it  was  an  unproductive  piece  of  ground.  The  soil  proper 
was  not  over  ten  or  twelve  inches  deep  and  rested  upon  a  tena- 
cious, clayey  hard-pan,  which  was  impervious  to  water.  He  said 
the  frosts  acted  so  seriously  upon  this  soil,  on  account  of  the  sur- 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  69 

plus  water  not  being  able  to  escape  through  the  subsoil  that  it  was 
almost  impossible  to  keep  plants  alive  in  it  during  winter.  Even 
the  fence  posts  would  be  thrown  out  by  the  frost  in  a  very  short 
time.  A  prominent  contractor  who  was  walking  by  my  side  at  the 
time,  said  that  all  that  section  of  the  country  was  underlaid  by 
this  peculiar  subsoil,  which  is  a  great  drawback  to  plant  growth. 
I  was  also  informed  by  this  same  gentleman  that  this  part  of 
Allegany  County  was  not  favorable  for  strawberry  growing,  or 
other  fruit  except  apples,  and  that  the  supply  of  small  fruits  is  re- 
ceived largely  from  other  sections.  Mr.  Cole  has  planted  numer- 
ous varieties  of  strawberries  upon  his  side  hill,  among  which  I 
recognized  the  Bidwell,  Sharpless,  and  other  familiar  varieties. 
The  fruit  was  of  an  astonishing  size  and  grew  in  great  abundance. 
"While  I  live  in  a  strawberry  country,  and  am  myself  a  strawberry 
grower,  I  cannot  remember  when  I  have  seen  so  fine  a  display  of 
strawberries  growing  upon  the  vines  as  I  saw  here.  There  were, 
however,  evidences  of  high  culture.  A  gentleman  by  my  side 
echoed  my  sentiments  by  remarking  that  we  could  increase  the  size 
of  fruits  in  our  own  gardens  by  such  thorough  cultivation  as  this. 
I  regretted  that  Mr.  Cole  did  not  have  a  plot  of  strawberries  grow- 
ing near  by  which  did  not  receive  any  benefit  from  his  method  of 
irrigation,  for  then  we  could  have  compared  results.  Adjoining 
the  strawberries  were  growing  different  kinds  of  garden  crops, 
also  currants,  raspberries,  blackberries,  potatoes  and  a  few  fruit 
trees.  At  one  point,  where  the  ground  was  terraced,  I  noticed, 
growing  on  the  ragged  edge  a  row  of  onions.  I  called  attention 
to  the  fact  that  while  these  onions  were  on  the  very  brink,  there 
was  no  indication  of  their  being  disturbed  by  washing  of  the  soil, 
as  might  have  been  expected  in  such  a  position.  In  fact  every- 
thing showed  that  in  no  place  had  the  rainfall  run  down  the  sur- 
face as  ordinarily,  to  the  detriment  of  anything  growing  thereon 


70  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

as  the  water  passed  into  the  drains  underlying."       *         *         * 

Mr.  Green's  article  covers  a  full  column  and  a  half  of  The  Tri- 
bune, and  is  remarkably  conservative  in  tone  from  first  to  last, 
written  by  a  manifestly  level-headed  and  even-handed  man,  but 
one  nevertheless  coming  wholly  unprepared  for  what  he  saw. 
Himself  an  extensive  gardener,  fruit  grower  and  nursery  man  at 
Rochester,  the  Flower  City,  where  gardens  and  gardening  form  a 
distinguishing  feature  of  business,  and  coming,  as  he  did,  out  of 
that  far-famed  delta  of  the  Genesee,  (which  is  ordinarily  exempt 
from  frost,  a  fortnight  earlier  in  Spring,  and  three  or  four  weeks 
later  in  Autumn  than  other  sections  of  western  New  York)  to  find 
at  Wellsville  near  the  source  of  the  Genesee  River,  the  climate  of 
Delaware  and  Maryland,  not  to  say  of  the  Virginias,  growing  fruits 
and  vegetables  superior  in  flavor,  and  immeasurably  prolific  of  yield. 
Fair  minded  and  just,  his  summing  up  as  follows  need  not  be  won- 
dered at. 

"  The  correspondent  of  The  Tribune  was  asked  011  every  hand, 
"  What  do  you  think  of  this  '  New  Agriculture  ?  "  I  reply  f rankly 
that,  while  I  consider  that  Mr.  Cole  claims  too  much,  there  appears 
to  be  in  it  much  that  is  novel  and  useful.  Others  who  try  similar 
experiments  in  different  soils  and  locations  may  not  be  able  to  ob- 
tain such  results.  I  do  not  doubt  that  an  acre  of  ground  can  be 
made  to  yield  an  increased  harvest  by  the  new  method,  but  whether 
it  is  a  paying  investment  is  another  question,  and  would  depend 
upon  circumstances.  For  high  gardening,  near  large  cities,  where 
the  subsoil  is  tenacious,  it  would  doubtless  be  profitable.  For  gen- 
eral field  culture  of  common  farm  crops,  I  should  hesitate  to  recom- 
mend it  until  I  had  investigated  further,  owing  to  the  great  ex- 
pense to  be  incurred." 

That  the  editors  of  The  Tribune  were  unprepared  for  even  so  fav- 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  71 

orable  a  report  as  this,  is  evidenced  by  the  following,  appealing  on 
the  editorial  page  of  that  paper  at  date  of  July  14th. 

"  Those  who  have  read  that  most  suggestive  of  all  American 
books  on  agriculture,  "  "What  I  Know  of  Farming," — will  be  inter- 
ested in  the  account  in  another  column  which  Mr.  Charles  A.  Green, 
the  well-known  horticulturist  and  nurseryman  of  Rochester,  gives 
of  some  novel  experiments  in  irrigation  by  Mr.  Cole,  of  Wellsville. 
The  foundation  of  the  new  agriculture  is  subterranean  irrigation 
by  a  system  of  drains,  which  being  kept  supplied  with  water,  in 
turn  afford  a  permanent  supply  of  moisture  ready  to  be  taken  up 
by  the  plant  growth  above  as  fast  as  it  is  needed.  There  are  other 
principles  involved,  but  this  is  the  main  one,  and  Mr.  Cole  claims 
that  his  system  will  produce  ten  tons  of  hay  to  the  acre,  or  300 
bushels  of  strawberries,  etc.,  and  thus  yield  a  profitable  return  on 
the  money  expended.  It  will  be  noted  that  while  Mr.  Green  does 
not  indorse  these  claims  he  thinks  that  the  result  of  the  experi- 
ment at  Wellsville  are  remarkable  and  worthy  of  attention." 

Eminent  among  editors  who  came  on  this  day  was  Mr.  R.  S. 
Lewis  of  the  Progressive  Satavian,  published  at  Batavia,  Genesee 
County,  N.  Y.,  from  whose  report  it  would  be  impossible  to  make 
extracts  and  do  justice  either  to  its  author  or  to  the  public,  and 
therefore  we  copy  nearly  all  of  it. 

'  Mr.  Cole's  farm  consists  of  five  acres  of  what  was,  four  years 
ago,  and  a  part  of  which  is  now,  a  sterile  hillside  of  clayey  soil  so 
poor  as  to  grudgingly  yield  sufficient  substance  to  grow  field  daisies. 
It  is  as  steep  as  the  steepest  part  of  Burleigh  hill  Pavillion,  the 
Bethany  hill  just  east  of  the  Centre,  or  any  other  hill  in  Genesee 
county  of  which  we  have  any  knowledge ;  and  as  to  its  ever  be- 
coming profitably  productive,  we  don't  believe  there  is  a  foot  of 
land  in  all  our  county  which  was  equally  unpromising.  Some 
thirty  years  ago  Mr.  Cole  conceived  the  idea  that  plant  life  might 


72  *  THE   NEAY   AGRICULTURE. 

be  greatly,  almost  immeasurably,  stimulated  by  underground  irri- 
gation. He  had  neither  time  nor  opportunity  then  to  perfect  and 
test  his  thought,  but  it  continued  to  simmer  through  him  and  to 
recall  itself  to  his  attention  again  and  again  as  the  years  passed  on. 

"  His  conviction  on  the  matter  was  greatly  strengthened  and  stim- 
ulated by  a  conversation  with  Mr.  Horace  Greeley,  in  which  that 
gentleman  told  him  what  he  had  heard  of  the  wondrous  produc- 
tiveness near  Los  Angeles,  California,  where  vegetation  was  fed  by 
a  subterranean  river.  Mr.  Cole  had  thought  and  investigated  un- 
til he  had  no  doubt  about  the  fact  of  a  theory,  but  how  to  accom- 
plish the  irrigation — how  to  make  his  thought  practical,  was  the 
question. 

"  At  last  how  to  do  it  dawned  suddenly  upon  him — the  mists  of 
questionings  and  doubts  were  gone — his  dream  of  the  years  had 
materialized — his  vision  was  clear.  Where  could  he  better  test 
and  demonstrate  the  truth  and  value  of  his  discovery  than  on  his 
own  sterile,  unpromising  hillside.  Along  its  eastern  front  runs  a 
highway  with  wayside  gutter  adjoining  his  land.  Parallel  with 
this,  and  some  forty  to  fifty  feet  apart,  and  across  about  half  his 
land  to  its  highest  boundary,  he  caused  a  series  of  trenches  about 
two  and  a  half  feet  wide  by  four  and  a  half  to  five  feet  deep  to  be 
dug,  and  filled  to  within  eighteen  inches  of  the  surface  with  coarse 
large  stone  covered  with  loose  flat  stone,  for  subterranean  water 
reservoirs.  These  reservoirs  were  connected  by  numerous  shallow 
and  smaller  trenches  partially  filled  with  small  stones  at  about  eigh- 
teen inches  from  the  surface  and  designed  to  carry  off  from  trench 
to  trench  all  surplus  water.  After  the  laying  of  the  stone  all  the 
trenches,  little  and  big,  are  covered  with  straw  or  litter  of  any 
kind,  as  in  ordinary  ditching,  and  then  covered  with  dirt.  Thus 
each  large  trench  is  a  reservoir  capable  of  holding  from  three  to 
three  and  a  half  feet  of  water  through  its  entire  length  before  it 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  73 

reaches  the  height  where  carried  off  by  the  cross  trenches.  The 
water  from  the  rains  and  melting  snows  instead  of  passing  off  in 
surface  rills  and  channels  is  caught  in  these  reservoirs  and  slowly 
and  continuously  niters  through  the  soil  from  trench  to  trench — 
sweats  through  it,  so  to  speak — rendering  it  porous,  pliable,  spongy 
— always  sufficiently  damp  to  feed  and  stimulate  vegetation  to  the 
highest  degree,  and  yet  always  sufficiently  dry  to  be  in  the  best 
possible  order  for  cultivation. 

"  On  a  part  of  his  plantation  which  Mr.  Cole  has  thus  treated  he 
last  year  cut  three  crops  of  timothy  grass,  each  crop  being  in  the 
head  when  cut.  Most  of  the  trenched  ground  is  now  planted  with 
blackberry  and  raspberry  bushes  and  strawberry  vines.  What  the 
berry  bushes  will  do  yet  is  only  conjectural — they  have  a  strong, 
healthy,  prominent  development — but  the  strawberry  vines — it  is 
utterly  impossible  to  appropriately  describe  their  wonderous 
wealth  of  productiveness.  The  vines  are  literally  loaded  with  ber- 
ries and  their  average  size  is  marvelous.  Many  were  readily 
found  which  measured  nearly  eight  inches  in  circumference,  and 
there  were  no  small  berries.  Mr.  Cole  proudly  said  :  '  I  have  ber- 
ries this  year  as  big  as  peaches,'  and,  he  confidently  added,  '  I  will 
grow  them  next  year  as  large  as  apples.'  He  claimed  he  would 
this  year  harvest  more  bushels  of  strawberries  from  his  vines  than 
any  farmer  would  grow  bushels  of  potatoes  from  the  same  area  of 
ground.  He  said  the  cost  of  putting  his  ground  in  its  present 
condition  of  reservoirs  and  consequent  productiveness  was  about 
$500  per  acre,  and  he  expected  to  realize  $1,200  from  his  strawberry 
crop  alone  this  year. 

"  One  or  two  facts  more  are  worthy  of  mention,  1st — While  the 
ground  all  around  this  plot  was  last  winter  frozen  several  feet  deep, 
this  ground  was  not  frozen — the  plants  grew  the  winter  through. 
2d — One  of  the  delugy  rains  so  prevelant  this  season  poured  down 


74  THE   XEW   AGRICULTURE. 

upon  "Wellsville  a  few  days  since,  and  while  the  hillsides  all  around 
were  furrowed  and  ditched  by  the  running  waters,  this  plot  was 
not  washed  in  the  least — the  torrents  sank  into  its  porous  soil,  were 
caught  in  its  reservoirs  and  the  surplus  passed  off  through  its 
transverse  trenches  without  in  the  least  disturbing  its  surface  or 
the  crops  grown  thereon. 

"  Brother  Cole  claims  that  by  his  '  New  Agriculture'  every  kind 
of  vegetable  production  can  be  increased  from  five  to  ten  fold, — 
that  by  it  men  could  realize  more  from  five  or  ten  acres,  and  with 
less  labor  too,  than  they  now  do  from  farms  of  hundreds  of  acres — 
that  this  fact  will  become  rapidly  apparent — that  'The  New  Agri- 
culture, something  the  world  has  never  seen  or  realized  before 
has  been  discovered  and  will  prevail.'  If  it  shall  in  any  measure 
fulfill  its  early  promise  as  shown  in  Mr.  Cole's  small  experiment 
then  it  ought  to  and  will  prevail.  Some  wise  man  has  remarked, 
'  He  who  causes  two  blades  of  grass  to  grow  where  only  one  grew 
before,  is  a  benefactor  of  his  race'  or  words  to  that  effect,  and  for 
what  his  new  idea  has  already  established  we  have  no  hesitation  in 
saying  Mr.  Cole  is  entitled  to  honor  and  esteem  as  a  public  bene- 
factor. His  experiment  has  demonstrated  that  his  new  idea  has  at 
least  great  practical  value  for  application  to  every  hillside  and 
slope,  if  not  for  valley  and  plain.  He  claims  that  it  may  be  worked 
with  wondrous  success  even  on  what  we  call  level  lands.  The  cen- 
tral idea  of  '  The  New  Agriculture'  is  the  capturing  and  utilizing  by 
subterranean  reservoirs  and  irrigation,  of  all  the  dews,  rains  and 
snows  for  plant  growth,  and  Mr.  Cole  shows  in  his  side  hill  experi- 
ment that  the  filtration  of  the  water  through  the  hardest,  toughest, 
most  unpromising  soil,  renders  it  pliable  and  most  wonderfully 
fertile  and  productive." 

"VVe  must  not  omit  the  report  made  by  Mr.  James  McCann, 
President,  and  Mr.  George  W.  Hoffman,  ex-President  of  the  Par- 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  75 

mer's  Club  of  Elinira.  This  was  presented  at  a  meeting  of  the 
Club  on  July  llth,  1885,  and  appeared  in  The  Husbandman  under 
head  of  "  The  New  Agriculture :" 

"  Nearly  a  year  ago  the  Club  resolved  to  make  careful  inspection 
of  Hon.  A.  N.  Cole's  new  system  of  irrigation,  and  what  has  come 
to  be  regarded  as  '  The  New  Agriculture  '  but  favorable  opportu- 
nity was  not  found  until  Tuesday,  July  7th,  a  day  appointed  by  Mr. 
Cole,  whose  invitation  to  attend  for  the  purpose  of  examining  his 
work  and  its  results  had  been  received  by  the  Club  some  days  be- 
fore. Several  members  who  had  an  earnest  desire  to  accept  the 
invitation  found  themselves  hindered  by  prior  engagements,  but 
President  McCann  and  ex-President  Hoffman  went  as  the  direct 
representatives  of  the  Club  and  were  accompanied  by  several 
gentlemen  more  or  less  nearly  related  to  the  institution  that  gladly 
accepted  them  as  its  representatives.  There  was  much  desire  on 
the  part  of  those  who  attended  this  meeting  to  hear  the  account, 
and  among  the  number  were  several  that  came  in  after  the  narra- 
tion of  incidents  and  observations  had  been  partly  made,  among 
them  Professor  Lazenby,  of  the  Ohio  Agricultural  College,  Hon. 
J.  S.  Van  Duser,  an  old-time  member  of  the  Club,  Thomas  Flood, 
of  the  city,  and  G.  F.  Spinney,  of  the  New  York  Times.  Mr.  Hoff- 
man's report  ran  substantially  as  follows: 

"  My  observations  were  made  mainly  with  the  purpose  of  attain- 
ing clear  understanding  of  the  methods  by  which  Mr.  Cole  had 
produced  what  must  certainly  be  regarded  as  surprising  results. 
But  I  made  no  notes,  and  must  therefore  rely  upon  memory  in  my 
endeavor  to  convey  to  you  ideas  that  impressed  me.  Notwith- 
standing what  I  had  read  descriptive  of  the  '  The  New  Agriculture,' 
and  Mr.  Cole's  account  given  to  the  Club  some  months  ago,  I  had 
not  clear  views  of  his  method,  and  I  was  therefore  quite  desirous 
of  making  the  visit  with  the  purpose  of  inspecting  every  part  of 


76  THE  NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

the  work  and  its  results.  I  found  the  situation  a  slope  on  the  east- 
ern face  of  a  ridge,  ascending,  I  judge,  four  feet  in  the  first  hun- 
dred. Along  this  slope  trenches  were  cut,  on  a  horizontal  line 
or  course,  deviating  from  a  straight  line  when  necessary  to  suit  the 
inequalities  of  surface,  the  bottom  of  the  trench  having  a  horizon- 
tal run  along  the  face  of  the  slope.  The  first  trench,  the  pattern 
after  which  all  other  trenches  are  constructed,  is  four  feet  deep 
and  two  feet  wide,  filled  with  stones  to  within  fifteen  inches  of  the 
surface,  then  covered  with  flat  stones  and  refuse  stuff, — grass, 
weeds,  anything  to  serve  as  a  sort  of  filter  holding  the  soil  placed 
above  to  the  natural  line  of  the  surface,  leaving  water  to  drop  into 
the  trench  and  be  held  for  the  uses  designed.  The  filling,  I  was 
informed,  was  first  by  round  or  shapeless  stones  gathered  from  the 
field,  leaving  interstices  that  serve  in  their  aggregate  as  a  recepta- 
cle for  whatever  water  may  find  entrance,  principally  from  rains 
and  melting  snows  and  any  springs  that  may  be  tapped.  It  will 
be  seen  that  the  stone  filling  serves,  as  the  principal  purpose,  to 
support  the  superincumbent  earth  and  the  flat  stones  placed  on 
the  top  as  a  kind  of  cover  to  prevent  the  loose  soil  from  dropping 
into  the  receptacle  below.  The  horizontal  ditches  are  constructed 
at  suitable  distances  along  the  slope,  the  series  intended  to  hold 
the  surplus  of  rains  so  that  none  flows  over  the  surface.  Between 
these  horizontal  trenches  there  are  sub-trenches,  leading  from  one 
of  the  main  excavations  to  another.  These  cross-ditches  have  less 
depth  but  otherwise  are  constructed  in  the  same  manner  as  the 
main  trenches,  their  purpose  to  convey  surplus  of  water  from  an 
upper  to  a  lower  trench,  and  so  equalize  the  supply.  They  are 
filled  in  the  same  manner  and  covered  with  fifteen  inches  of  earth. 
The  soil  is  what  I  may  call  clay-loam,  with  stones  intermixed,  but 
no  appearance  of  sand,  the  close,  compact  subsoil  not  easily  pene- 
trated. I  refer  to  condition  before  treatment,  and  of  this  I  had 


PLUM,    NATURAL   SIZE. 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  77 

fair  opportunity  to  observe  in  the  adjoining  land  not  yet  brought 
under  the  new  system,  also  in  an  excavation  in  progress  where 
workmen  had  to  strike  heavy  blows  with  their  picks  to  penetrate 
the  hard  clay.  The  land  treated  by  Mr.  Cole  was  originally  part 
of  a  considerable  tract  that  was  regarded  as  extremely  poor,  and 
my  observations  led  me  to  conclude  that  the  estimate  was  just. 
The  most  striking  effect  of  the  treatment,  as  it  seemed  to  me,  was 
entire  change  of  character,  particularly  mechanical  condition,  due, 
in  large  part,  no  doubt,  to  the  very  thorough  manipulation,  for  it 
is  not  comprised  in  the  trenching  alone.  The  entire  area  is  dug 
up  to  the  depth  of  fifteen  inches,  and  all  stones  of  any  considerable 
size,  even  down  to  an  inch  in  diameter,  removed,  thus  changing 
mechanical  conditions  to  such  a  degree  that  one  is  impressed  with 
the  great  difference  between  the  land  treated  and  that  immediately 
adjoining.  You  step  upon  the  trenched  land  anywhere  and  yeu 
find  the  soil  yields  to  pressure  of  the  feet,  not  a  spot  where  it  is 
not  soft  and  yielding;  but  on  the  land  adjoining  it  is  hard  and  the 
foot  makes  no  impression  whatever,  Another  change  is  in  color. 
That  hard,  forbidding  clay  has  taken  the  appearance  of  muck,  or, 
at  least,  the  color  of  muck  and  loam  intermixed.  Its  texture  is 
aptly  described  by  Mr.  Cole,  who  calls  it  an  earth  sponge. 

"  We  were  called  to  examine  strawberries  from  plants  set,  as  we 
were  informed,  last  October,  and  I  am  free  to  say  that  the  plat  was 
a  very  interesting  object  inviting  study.  There  was  a  full  crop  of 
most  remarkable  berries — remarkable  in  size,  color  and  quality.  I 
cannot  undertake  to  estimate  the  yield,  but  it  was  certainly  very 
large.  I  called  Mr.  McCann's  attention  to  one  plant  of  older  set- 
ting that  had  ripe  berries  and  others  in  the  various  stages  of  growth, 
enough,  I  thought,  to  fill  iny  hat  if  they  could  be  picked  at  one 
time.  One  peculiarity  of  these  berries  was  the  absence  of  what 
may  be  termed  a  core,  or  hard  stem  in  the  middle ;  they  were  juicy 


78  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

and  tender  all  the  way  through.  As  to  the  foliage,  I  can  only  say 
that  I  never  saw  anything  like  it.  I  measured  a  leaf  that  was  five 
and  one-half  inches  across,  and  I  plucked  a  broader  one,  with  Mr. 
Cole's  consent,  and  brought  it  home. 

"  I  must  say  that  the  changes  wrought  in  the  soil  and  its  pro- 
ducts constituted  a  great  surprise. 

"  As  to  the  soil,  I  could  judge  by  comparison  with  land  that 
must  have  been  originally  of  the  same  character.  It  now  lies 
hard  and  compact  adjoining  the  renovated  earth,  that  under  Mr. 
Cole's  treatment  has  certainly  become  very  fertile,  whether  with 
manure  in  abundant  supply,  or  not,  I  am  not  prepared  to  say. 
The  soil  under  treatment  has  the  appearance  of  being  thoroughly 
enriched  with  manure  ;  then  there  is  the  water  supply  for  the 
roots  to  reach  and  use,  obviating  drought  apparently  ;  and  besides, 
there  is  entire  freedom  from  washing.  Heavy  showers  had  fallen 
in  the  week  before  our  arrival,  but  there  was  not  the  slightest  ap- 
pearance of  washing,  and  Mr.  Cole  informed  iis  that  all  danger 
from  washing  was  obviated  ;  a  statement  which  I  can  accept  as 
true,  for  he  has  provided  reservoirs  into 'which  all  surplus  of  water 
must  pass,  and  if  there  is  too  much  the  overflow  runs  from  one  to 
another  reservoir.  Besides  all  this  the  earth  worked  to  fine  tilth 
fifteen  inches  deep  serves  as  a  sponge  to  take  in  a  great  deal  of 
moisture  and  retain  it  for  the  use  of  plants.  Ten  days  before  our 
visit  there  was  a  rainfall  of  three  inches,  as  reported,  and  no  ap- 
pearance of  washing. 

"  Of  course  I  can  not  give  you  such  description  as  will  inform 
you  fully,  because  one  must  see  what  has  been  done  and  its  results 
to  have  complete  understanding  of  the  system.  I  believe  there  is 
a  great  deal  of  advantage  in  Mr.  Cole's  plan,  althoiigh  I  may  not 
with  my  one  opportunity  for  inspection  have  such  full  faith  as  he 
possesses,  for  I  cannot  have  such  full  knowledge  as  he  has  obtained 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  79 

in  the  practical  work  that  has  engaged  his  thought  for  years. 
Still,  when  I  see  a  crop  of  strawberries  much  larger  than  I  have 
ever  seen  under  other  conditions,  no  dead  leaves,  no  runners, 
growth  most  luxuriant  and  long  succession  in  bearing,  I  must  say 
that  results  are  convincing.  There  were  other  proofs  about  which 
I  am  not  so  well  prepared  to  judge.  For  instance,  an  apple  tree 
standing  in  this  improved  land  was  reported  worthless,  its  fruit 
gnarled  and  valueless  before  the  land  was  trenched,  now  bearing 
largely  and  the  fruit  of  fine  quality.  Of  course  I  cannot  say  how 
much  difference  there  is  between  the  tree  as  it  now  appears  and  as 
it  was  before  the  land  was  improved.  I  observed,  however,  a  young 
tree,  the  trunk  five  or  six  inches  in  diameter  perhaps,  its  growth 

most  vigorous,  the  limbs    smooth   as   if  recently  washed  with   lye 

» 
foliage,  fresh,  full  and  green.     But  on  inquiry  I  learned  that  it  had 

only  ordinary  treatment ;  the  limbs  had  not  been  washed,  and  its 
vigorous  growth  was  attributed  to  the  system  of  trenching  and 
irrigating  that  increased  the  yield  of  strawberry  plants  and  the 
size  of  fruit,  the  effect  being  visible  in  growth  of  all  kinds.  There 
were  no  weeds  on  the  ground  occupied  by  strawberries — it  was 
absolutely  clean. 

"  Prof.  LAZENBY.  There  are  three  or  four  questions  that  I  would 
like  to  ask.  "What  distance  apart  are  the  cross  ditches? 

"G.  "NV.  HOFFMAN.  I  can  not  say  precisely.  I  asked  Mr.  Cole, 
and  he  told  me  three  or  four  rods,  leaving  me  to  infer  that  he  had 
exercised  no  care  to  place  the  cross  ditches  at  regular  intervals. 
You  will  understand  that  these  cross  ditches  tap  the  main  trench 
two  feet  above  the  bottom,  that  they  are  but  two  feet  deep  and 
serve  only  the  purpose  of  drawing  off  surplus  water,  or,  in  other 
words,  equalizing  water  in  the  trenches. 

"  Prof.  LAXENUY.  What  is  done  with  the  subsoil  taken  from  the 
main  trenches?  Is  it  carted  away? 


80  THE   NEW   AGB1CULTURE. 

"  G.  W.  HOFFMAN.  It  is  all  used  on  the  land,  intermixed,  I  sup- 
pose, with  the  surface  soil  during  the  working,  as  I  have  said,  to 
the  depth  of  fifteen  inches.  We  saw  workmen  engaged  in  excavat- 
ing a  trench,  and  the  compact  clay  taken  from  the  bottom  was  dis- 
tributed over  the  land  to  be  brought  into  cultivation.  The  work- 
men said  that  the  hard  clay  would  become  friable  upon  exposure, 
and  pointed  to  places  where  it  had  been  thrown  where  it  had  be- 
come soft  and  yielding.  The  first  working  of  ground  below  that 
trench,  we  were  told,  was  last  May,  but  the  workmen  said  they 
would  go  over  it  again  soon  and  take  out  such  stones  as  had  been 
overlooked  in  the  first  picking. 

"  Prof.  LAZENBY.  Still  another  question — "Were  those  strawberry 
plants  that  were  put  out  last  October  potted  previous  to  placing 
them  in  the  ground? 

"G.  W.  HOFFMAN.  I  do  not  know  that  they  were  ;  I  suppose 
they  were  not.  They  were  not  as  prolific  as  the  older  vines. 

"President  McCANN.  We  were  informed  that  the  strawberry 
leaves  kept  green  all  winter,  and  that  the  ground  was  almost  free 
from  frost  during  the  coldest  weather.  Mr.  Cole  told  us  that  frost 
rarely  penetrated  more  than  an  inch  or  two,  while  ground  not 
treated  was  frozen  fully  three  feet  deep.  Of  course,  if  the  soil  re- 
mains open  and  there  is  snow  protection  strawberry  plants  may 
keep  fresh  and  green  through  winter. 

"  G.  W.  HOFFMAN.  There  is  certainly  very  great  change  produced 
by  the  new  system.  How  much  may  be  credited  to  irrigation,  how 
much  to  very  thorough  working,  and  how  much  to  manure,  I  can 
not  decide.  Mr.  Cole  spoke  very  highly  of  forest  leaves  as  a 
mulch  or  manure,  and,  I  think,  he  has  made  very  free  use  of  them. 
Speaking  of  leaves,  he  said :  '  They  are  the  very  best  manure  God 
ever  supplied  for  agricultural  use.' 

"  Now,  as  to  this  system  of  irrigation,  there  may  be  a  great  deal 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  81 

in  it  I  have  not  seen,  although  I  have  seen  much  to  cause  surprise. 
Water  flowing  out  below  came  clear,  no  discoloration,  and  I  was 
told  that  it  was  of  good  drinking  quality.  Mr.  Cole  claims  that  the 
land  will  become  loose  and  friable  as  deep  as  the  trenches.  Per- 
haps this  is  not  overstated.  I  do  not  care  to  speak  of  claims,  nor 
of  opinions  not  well  supported.  There  is  enough  in  the  new  sys- 
tem to  interest  investigators.  It  is  costly.  "We  were  informed  that 
the  work  done  by  Mr.  Cole  had  cost  $500  an  acre,  but  the  improve- 
ment may  be  great  enough  to  justify  that  outlay.  I  suppose  that 
on  an  acre  set  to  strawberries  there  may  be  11,000  or  12,000  plants. 
Now  if  each  one  of  these  produces  a  quart,  the  product  will  give 
pretty  fair  interest  on  $5,000.  It  must  be  understood  that  such  re- 
markable berries  as  are  produced  under  this  system  will  sell  for 
more  than  ordinary  prices.  I  want  to  make  another  visit  later  in 
the  season,  when  we  have  here  the  usual  summed  drought.  If  I 
find  everything  fresh  without  appearance  of  drought  on  Mr.  Cole's 
improved  land,  I  shall  regard  it  as  another  strong  proof  of  merit  in 
his  system." 

In  conclusion  of  our  introductory  or  first  chapter  we  beg  leave 
to  answer  the  question  asked  by  Prof.  Lazenby  by  saying  that 
we  never  pot  plants,  but  grow  them,  taking  pains  to  catch  them  in 
with  a  trowel,  giving  them  good  root.  This  is  done  in  August  and 
September,  and  our  plants  are  removed  with  the  trowel  quite  as 
often  as  with  the  spade,  leaving  an  abundance  of  earth  upon  the 
roots,  and  they  grow  right  along,  though  set  as  late  as  October,  or 
even  November.  They  grow  indeed  beneath  the  snows,  and  make 
deep  roots  in  winter. 


CHAPTER  II. 


CIRCULATION   OP   WATER   ON    LAND THE   WONDERFUL    MESILLA. 


To  Dr.  J.  H.  Yincent,  of  Plainfield,  N.  J.,  the  world  is  indebted 
for  a  system  of  education  reaching  the  hearthstones  and  homes  of 
thousands  of  families  all  over  our  goodly  land.  Chief  of  these,  in 
form  of  school  or  college,  is  the  Chautauqua  Literary  and  Scien- 
tific Circle.  The  organ  of  this  institution  is  The  Chautauquan,  pub- 
lished at  Meadville,  Pennsylvania,  Theodore  L.  Flood,  D.  D., 
Editor.  From  the  November  number  of  1883  we  copy  an  article 
in  which,  if  carefully  read  and  studied,  will  be  found  an  amount 
of  information  which  cannot  be  overestimated  in  its  value  to 
the  farming  class.  Here  can  be  learned  the  ways  of  the  waters 
as  run  by  nature's  laws,  over,  through  and  under  the  soil.  "We 
give  this  remarkable  article  in  full,  for  were  we  to  search  the 
literature  of  the  soil  to  exhaustion,  we  could  not  find  in  so  compre- 
hensive and  compact  a  form,  a  compend  upon  which  to  base  the 
text  of  this  volume. 

However,  before  transcribing  it,  we  are  equally  bound  to  accord 
to  Mr.  Henry  Stewart,  civil  and  mining  Engineer,  member  of 
the  Civil  Engineers'  Club  of  the  North-west  and  associate  Editor  of 
the  American  Agriculturist,  the  credit  of  having  written,  about  two 
years  ago,  a  work  on  the  subject  of  irrigation  from  which  copious 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  83 

extracts  will  be  found  on  future  pages  of  our  book.  Following  in 
the  footsteps  of  progressive  experiences  beginning,  for  aught  we 
know,  when  the  deluge  in  which  irrigation  was  made  so  general 
as  to  drive  Noah  and  his  family  to  seek  refuge  in  the  Ark,  the 
author  of  the  volume  referred  to,  "  Irrigation  for  the  Farm,  Gar- 
den and  Orchard,"  confines  himself  to  the  subject  of  applying  the 
waters  to  the  surface  of  lands,  merest  mention  being  made  of 
underground  or  subterranean  methods.  Had  we  the  satisfaction 
of  knowing  that  the  farmers  and  gardeners,  the  fathers,  mothers, 
sons  and  daughters  of  America  generally,  taking  an  interest  in 
that  most  delightful  of  all  pursuits,  the  one  of  growing  grasses, 
grains,  fruits,  flowers,  trees  and  plants  in  their  varied  forms,  had 
read  Mr.  Stewart's  book  we  should  omit  much  of  quotation  herein- 
after made.  It  is  so  meritorious  a  work  that  we  db  not  hesitate  to 
pronounce  it  an  invaluable  adjunct  to  our  own,  and  would  advise 
every  reader  of  "  Our  New  Agriculture,"  to  couple  therewith  the 
study  of  Mr.  Stewart's  "Irrigation  for  the  Farm,  Garden  and 
Orchard."  "We  now  give  the  article  in  full  from  the  Chautauquan, 
\inder  the  caption  of  "  The  Circulation  of  Water  on  the  Land." 

"  Although  air  is  continually  evaporating  water  from  the  surface 
of  the  earth,  and  continually  restoring  it  again  by  condensation, 
yet,  on  the  whole  and  in  the  course  of  years,  there  seems  to  be  no 
sensible  gain  or  loss  of  water  in  our  seas,  lakes,  and  rivers;  so 
that  the  two  processes  of  evaporation  and  condensation  balance 
each  other, 

"  It  is  evident,  however,  that  the  moisture  precipitated  at  any 
moment  from  the  air  is  not  at  once  evaporated  again.  The  disap- 
pearance of  the  water  is  due  in  part  to  evaporation,  but  only  in 
part,  A  great  deal  of  it  goes  out  of  sight  in  other  ways. 

"  The  rain  which  falls  upon  the  sea,  is  the  largest  part  of  the 
whole  rainfall  of  the  globe,  because  the  surface  of  the  sea  is  about 


8-4  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

v 

three  times  greater  than  that  of  the  land.  All  this  rain  gradually 
mingles  with  the  salt  water,  and  can  then  be  no  longer  recognized. 
It  thus  helps  to  make  up  for  the  loss  which  the  sea  is  always  suf- 
fering by  evaporation,  for  the  sea  is  the  great  evaporating  sur- 
face whence  most  of  the  vapor  of  the  atmosphere  is  derived. 

"  On  the  other  hand,  the  total  amount  of  rain  which  falls  upon 
the  land  of  the  globe  must  be  enormous.  It  has  been  estimated, 
for  example,  that  about  sixty-eight  cubic  miles  of  water  annually 
descend  as  rain  even  upon  the  surface  of  the  British  Isles,  and 
there  are  many  much  more  rainy  regions.  If  you  inquire  about 
this  rain  which  falls  upon  the  land,  you  will  find  that  it  does  not 
at  once  disappear,  but  begins  another  kind  of  circulation.  Watch 
what  happens  during  a  shower  of  rain.  If  the  shower  is  heav}% 
you  will  notice  little  runs  of  muddy  water  coursing  down  the 
streets  or  roads,  or  flowing  out  of  the  ridges  of  the  fields.  Follow 
one  of  the  runs.  It  leads  into  some  drain  or  brook,  that  into  some 
larger  stream,  the  stream  into  a  river;  and  the  river,  if  you  follow 
it  far  enough,  will  bring  you  to  the  sea.  Now  think  of  all  the 
brooks  and  rivers  of  the  world,  where  this  kind  of  transport  of 
water  is  going  on,  and  you  will  at  once  see  how  vast  must  be  the 
part  of  the  rain  which  flows  off  the  land  into  the  ocean. 

"  But  does  the  whole  of  the  rain  flow  off  at  once  into  the  sea  in 
this  way  ?  A  good  deal  of  the  rain  which  falls  upon  the  land 
must  sink  underground  and  gather  there.  You  may  think  that 
surely  the  water  which  disappears  in  that  way  must  be  finally 
withdrawn  from  the  general  circulation  which  we  have  been  trac- 
ing. "When  it  sinks  below  the  surface,  how  can  it  ever  get  up  to 
the  surface  again? 

"  Yet,  if  you  consider  for  a  little,  you  will  be  convinced  that  what- 
ever becomes  of  it  underneath,  it  can  not  be  lost.  If  all  the  rain 
which  sinks  into  the  ground  be  forever  removed  from  the  surface 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  85 

circulation,  you  will  at  once  see  that  the  quantity  of  water  upon 
the  earth's  surface  must  be  constantly  and  visibly  diminishing. 
But  no  such  changes,  so  far  as  can  be  seen,  are  really  taking 
place.  In  spite  of  the  rain  which  disappears  into  the  ground,  the 
circulation  of  water  between  the  air,  the  land,  and  the  sea  contin- 
ues without  perceptible  diminution. 

"You  are  driven  to  conclude,  therefore,  that  there  must  be  some 
means  whereby  the  water  underground  is  brought  back  to  the 
surface.  This  is  done  by  springs,  which  gush  out  of  the  earth, 
and  bring  up  water  to  feed  the  brooks  and  rivers,  whereby  it  is 
borne  into  the  sea.  Here,  then,  are  two  distinct  courses  which 
the  rainfall  takes — one  below  ground,  and  one  above.  It  will  be 
most  convenient  to  follow  the  underground  portion  first. 

"  A  little  attention  to  the  soils  and  rocks  which  form  the  surface 
of  a  country  is  enough  to  show  that  they  differ  greatly  from  each 
other  in  hardness,  and  in  texture  or  grain.  Some  are  quite  loose 
and  porous,  others  are  tough  and  close-grained.  They  consequent- 
ly differ  much  in  the  quantity  of  water  they  allow  to  pass  through 
them.  A  bed  of  sand,  for  example,  is  pervious  ;  that  is,  will  let 
water  sink  through  it  freely,  because  the  little  grains  of  sand  lie 
loosely  together,  touching  each  other  only  at  some  points  so  as  to 
leave  empty  spaces  between.  The  water  readily  finds  its  way  in 
among  these  empty  spaces.  In  fact,  the  sand  bed  may  become  a 
kind  of  sponge,  quite  saturated  with  the  water  which  has  filtered 
down  from  the  surface.  A  bed  of  clay  on  the  other  hand,  is  im- 
pervious; it  is  made  up  of  very  small  particles  fitting  closely  to 
each  other,  and  therefore  offering  resistance  to  the  passage  of 
water,  which,  unable  to  sink  through  it  from  above  on  the  way 
down,  or  from  below  on  the  way  up  to  the  surface  again,  is  kept  in 
by  the  clay,  and  forced  to  find  another  line  of  escape. 

"  Sandy  soils  are  dry  because  rain  at  once  sinks  through  them ; 


86  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

clay  soils  are  wet  because  they  retain  the  water,  and  prevent  it 
from  freely  descending  into  the  earth. 

"  The  rocks  beneath  besides  being  in  many  cases  porous  in  their 
texture,  such  as  sandstone,  are  all  more  or  less  traversed  with 
cracks;  sometimes  mere  lines,  like  those  of  a  cracked  windoAv-pane, 
but  sometimes  wide  and  open  clefts  and  tunnels.  These  numerous 
channels  serve  as  passages  for  the  underground  water.  Hence,  al- 
though a  rock  may  be  so  hard  and  close-grained  that  water  does 
not  soak  through  it,  yet  if  that  rock  is  plentifully  supplied  with 
these  cracks  it  may  allow  a  large  quantity  of  water  to  pass  through. 
Limestone,  for  example,  is  a  very  hard  rock,  through  the  grains  of 
which  water  can  make  but  little  way;  yet  it  is  so  full  of  cracks  or 
"  joints,"  as  they  are  called,  and  these  joints  are  often  so  wide,  that 
they  give  passage  to  a  great  deal  of  water. 

"  In  hilly  districts,  where  the  surface  of  the  ground  has  not  been 
brought  under  the  plow,  you  will  notice  that  many  places  are 
.marshy  and  wet,  even  when  the  weather  has  been  long  dry.  The 
soil  everywhere  around  has  been  perhaps  baked  quite  hard  by  the 
sun;  but  these  places  remain  still  wet,  in  spite  of  the  heat.  Whence 
do  they  get  their  water  ?  Plainly  not  directly  from  the  air,  since 
in  that  case  the  rest  of  the  ground  would  also  be  damp.  They  get 
it  not  from  above,  but  from  below.  It  is  oozing  out  of  the  ground; 
and  it  is  this  constant  outcome  of  water  from  below,  which  keeps 
the  ground  wet  and  marshy.  In  other  places  you  will  observe  that 
the  water  does  not  merely  soak  through  the  ground,  but  gives  rise 
to  a  little  run  of  clear  water.  If  you  follow  such  a  run  up  to  its 
source,  you  will  see  that  it  comes  gushing  out  of  the  ground  as  a 
spring. 

"Springs  are  the  natural  outlets  for  the  underground  waters. 
But,  you  ask,  why  should  this  water  have  any  outlets,  and  what 
makes  it  rise  to  the  surface  ?  Let  us  suppose  that  a  flat  layer  of 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  87 

some  impervious  rock  like  clay,  underlies  another  layer  of  a  porous 
material,  like  sand.  The  rain  which  falls  on  the  surface  of  the 
ground,  and  sinks  through  the  upper  bed,  will  be  arrested  by  the 
lower  one,  and  made  either  to  gather  there,  or  find  its  escape  along 
the  surface  of  that  lower  bed.  If  a  hollow  or  valley  should  have 
its  bottom  below  the  level  of  the  line  along  which  the  water  flows, 
springs  will  gush  out  along  the  sides  of  the  valley.  The  line  of  es- 
cape may  be  either  the  junction  between  two  different  kinds  of 
rock,  or  some  of  the  numerous  joints  already  referred  to.  What- 
ever it  be,  the  water  cannot  help  flowing  onward  and  downward,  as 
long  as  there  is  any  passage  along  which  it  can  find  its  way;  and 
the  rocks  underneath  are  so  full  of  cracks,  that  it  has  no  difficulty 
in  doing  so. 

"  But  it  must  happen  that  a  great  deal  of  the  underground 
water  descends  far  below  the  level  of  the  valleys,  and  even  below 
the  level  of  the  sea.  And  yet,  though  it  should  descend  for  several 
miles,  it  comes  at  last  to  the  surface  again.  To  realize  clearly  how 
this  takes  place,  let  us  follow  a  particular  drop  of  water  from  the 
time  it  sinks  into  the  earth  as  rain,  to  the  time  when,  after  a  long 
journey  up  and  down  in  the  bowels  of  the  earth,  it  once  more 
reaches  the  surface.  It  soaks  through  the  soil  together  with  other 
drops,  and  joins  some  feeble  trickle,  or  some  other  ample  flow  of 
water,  which  works  its  way  throiigh  crevices  and  tunnels  of  the 
rocks.  It  sinks  in  this  way  to  perhaps  a  depth  of  several  thousand 
feet  until  it  reaches  some  strata  through  which  it  cannot  readily 
make  further  way.  Unable  to  work  its  way  downward,  the  pent- 
up  water  must  try  to  find  escape  in  some  other  direction.  By  the 
pressure  from  above  it  is  driven  through  othor  cracks  and  pass- 
ages, winding  up  and  down  until  at  last  it  comes  to  the  surface 
again.  It  breaks  out  there  as  a  gushing  spring. 

"  Rain  is  water  nearly  in  a  state  of  purity.     After  journeying  up 


OO  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

and  down  underground  it  conies  out  again  in  springs,  always 
more  or  less  mingled  with  other  materials,  which  it  gets  from 
the  rocks  through  which  it  travels.  They  are  not  visible  to  the 
eye,  for  they  are  held  in  what  is  called  chemical  solution.  "When 
you  put  a  few  grains  of  salt  or  sugar  upon  a  plate,  and  pour 
water  over  them,  they  are  dissolved  in  the  water  and  disappear. 
They  enter  into  union  with  the  water.  You  can  not  see  them, 
but  you  can  still  recognize  their  presence  by  the  taste  which 
they  give  to  the  water  which  holds  them  in  solution.  So  water, 
sinking  from  the  soil  downward,  dissolves  a  little  of  the  sub- 
stance *of  the  subterranean  rocks,  and  carries  this  dissolved  ma- 
terial up  to  the  surface  of  the  ground.  One  of  the  important  in- 
gredients in  the  air  is  carbonic  acid  gas,  and  this  substance 
is  both  abstracted  from  and  supplied  to  the  air  by  plants  and 
animals.  In  descending  through  the  atmosphere  rain  absorbs 
a  little  air.  As  ingredients  of  the  air,  a  little  carbonic  acid  gas 
particles  of  dust  and  soot,  noxious  vapors,  minute  organisms, 
and  other  substances  floating  in  the  air,  are  caught  up  by  the 
descending  rain,  which  in  this  way  washes  the  air,  and  tends 
to  keep  it  much  more  wrholesome  than  it  would  otherwise  be. 

"  But  rain  not  merely  picks  up  impurities  from  the  air,  it  gets  a 
large  addition  when  it  reaches  the  soil. 

"  Armed  with  the  carbonic  acid  which  it  gets  from  the  air,  and 
with  the  larger  quantity  which  it  abstracts  from  the  soil,  rainwater 
is  prepared  to  attack  rocks,  and  to  eat  into  them  in  a  way  which 
pure  water  could  not  do. 

"Water  containing  carbonic  acid  has  a  remarkable  effect  on 
many  rocks,  even  on  some  of  the  very  hardest.  It  dissolves 
more  or  less  of  their  substance,  and  removes  it.  "When  it  falls, 
for  instance,  on  chalk  or  limestone,  it  almost  entirely  dissolves 
and  carries  away  the  rock  in  solution,  though  still  remaining 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  89 

clear  and  limpid.  In  countries  where  chalk  or  limestone  is  an 
abundant  rock,  this  action  of  water  is  sometimes  singularly 
shown  in  the  way  in  which  the  surface  of  the  ground  is  worn 
into  hollows.  In  such  districts,  too,  the  springs  are  always  hard;  . 
that  is.  they  contain  much  mineral  matter  in  solution,  whereas 
rainwater  and  springs  which  contain  little  impurity  are  termed 
soft 

"  When  a  stone  building  has  stood  for  a  few  hundred  years,  the 
smoothly-dressed  face  which  its  walls  received  from  the  mason  is 
usually  gone.  Again,  in  the  burying-ground  surrounding  a  ven- 
erable church  you  see  the  tombstones  more  and  more  mouldered 
the  older  they  are.  This  crumbling  away  of  hard  stone  with  the 
lapse  of  time  is  a  common  familiar  fact  to  you.  But  have  you  ever 
wondered  why  it  should  be  so  ?  What  makes  the  stone  decay,  and 
what  purpose  is  served  by  the  process  ? 

"  If  it  seem  strange  to  you  to  be  told  that  the  surface  of  the 
earth  is  crumbling  away,  you  should  take  every  opportunity  of 
verifying  the  statement.  Examine  your  own  district.  You  will 
find  proofs  that,  in  spite  of  their  apparent  steadfastness,  even  the 
hardest  stones  are  really  crumbling  down.  In  short,  Wherever 
rocks  are  exposed  to  the  air  they  are  liable  to  decay.  Now  let  us 
see  how  this  change  is  brought  about. 

"  First  of  all  we  must  return  for  a  moment  to  the  action  of  car- 
bonic acid,  which  has  been  already  described.  You  remember 
that  rainwater  abstracts  a  little  carbonic  acid  from  the  air,  and 
that,  when  it  sinks  under  the  earth,  it  is  enabled  by  means  of  the 
acid  to  eat  away  some  parts  of  the  rocks  beneath.  The  same  action 
takes  place  with  the  rain,  which  rests  upon  or  flows  over  the  sur- 
face of  the  ground.  The  rainwater  dissolves  out  little  by  little 
such  portions  of  the  rocks  as  it  can  remove.  In  the  case  of  some 
rocks,  such  as  limestone,  the  whole  or  almost  the  whole,  of  the 


90  THE   NEW   AGKICULTUKE. 

substance  of  the  rock  is  carried  away  in  solution.  In  other  kinds, 
the  portion  dissolved  is  the  cementing  material  whereby  the  mass 
of  the  rock  was  bound  together;  so  that  when  it  is  taken  away, 
the  rock  crumbles  into  mere  earth  or  sand,  which  is  readily  washed 
away  by  the  rain.  Hence  one  of  the  causes  of  the  mouldering  of 
stone  is  the  action  of  the  carbonic  acid  taken  up  by  the  rain. 

"  In  the  second  place,  the  oxygen  of  the  portion  of  air  contained 
in  rainwater  helps  to  decompose  rocks.  When  a  piece  of  iron  has 
been  exposed  for  a  time  to  the  weather,  in  a  damp  climate,  it  rusts. 
This  rust  is  a  compound  substance,  formed  by  the  union  of  oxygen 
with  iron.  "What  happens  to  an  iron  railing  or  a  steel  knife,  hap- 
pens also,  though  not  so  quickly  nor  so  strongly,  to  many  rocks. 
They,  too,  rust  by  absorbing  oxygen.  A  crust  of  corroded  rock 
forms  on  their  surface,  and  when  it  is  knocked  off  by  the  rain,  a 
fresh  layer  of  rock  is  reached  by  the  ever-present  and  active  oxy- 
gen. 

"  In  the  third  place  the  surface  of  many  parts  of  the  world  is 
made  to  crumble  down  by  means  of  frost.  Sometimes  during 
winter,  when  the  cold  gets  very  keen,  pipes  full  of  water  burst, 
and  jugs  filled  with  water  crack  from  top  to  bottom.  The  reason  of 
this  lies  in  the  fact  that  water  expands  in  freezing.  Ice  requires 
more  space  than  the  water  would  if  it  remained  fluid.  When  ice 
forms  within  a  confined  space,  it  exerts  a  great  pressure  on  the 
sides  of  the  vessel,  or  cavity,  which  contains  it.  If  these  sides  are 
not  strong  enough  to  bear  the  strain  to  which  they  are  put,  they 
must  yield,  and  therefore  they  crack. 

"You  have  learned  how  easily  rain  finds  its  way  through  soil. 
Even  the  hardest  rocks  are  more  or  less  porous,  and  take  in  some 
water.  Hence,  when  winter  comes  the  ground  is  full  of  moisture; 
not  in  the  soil  merely,  but  in  the  rocks.  And  so,  as  frost  sets  in, 
this  pervading  moisture  freezes.  Now,  precisely  the  same  kind  of 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  91 

action  takes  place  with  each  particle  of  water,  as  in  the  case  of  the 
water  in  the  burst  water-pipe  or  the  cracked  jar.  It  does  not  mat- 
ter whether  the  water  is  collected  into  some  hole  or  crevice,  or  is 
diffused  between  the  grains  of  the  rocks  and  the  soil.  When  it 
freezes  it  expands,  and  in  so  doing  tries  to  push  asunder  the  walls 
between  which  it  is  confined. 

"  Water  freezes  not  only  between  the  component  grains,  but  in 
the  numerous  crevices  or  joints,  as  they  are  called,  by  which  rocks 
are  traversed.  You  have,  perhaps  noticed,  that  on  the  face  of  a 
cliff,  or  in  a  quarry,  the  rock  is  cut  through  by  lines  running  more 
or  less  in  an  upright  direction,  and  that  by  means  of  these  lines 
the  rock  is  split  up  by  nature,  and  can  be  divided  by  the  quarry- 
men  into  large  four-sided  blocks  or  pillars.  These  lines,  or  joints, 
have  been  already  referred  to  as  passages  for  water  in  descending 
from  the  surface.  You  can  understand  that  only  a  very  little  water 
may  be  admitted  at  a  time  into  a  joint.  But  by  degrees  the  joint 
widens  a  little,  and  allows  more  water  to  enter.  Every  time  the 
water  freezes  it  tries  hard  to  push  asunder  the  two  sides  of  the 
joint.  After  many  winters,  it  is  at  last  able  to  separate  them  a 
little ;  then  more  water  enters,  and  more  force  is  exerted  in  freez- 
ing, until  at  last  the  block  of  rock  traversed  by  the  joint  is  com- 
pletely split  up.  When  this  takes  place  along  the  face  of  a  cliff, 
one  of  the  loosened  parts  may  fall  and  actually  roll  down  to  the 
bottom  of  the  precipice. 

"In  addition  to  carbonic  acid,  oxygen  and  frost,  there  are  still 
other  influences  at  work  by  which  the  surface  of  the  earth  is  made 
to  crumble.  For  example,  when,  during  the  day,  rocks  are  highly 
heated  by  strong  sunshine,  and  then  during  night  are  rapidly 
cooled  by  radiation,  the  alternate  expansion  and  contraction  caused 
by  the  extremes  of  temperature  loosen  the  particles  of  the  stone, 


92  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

causing  them  to  crumble  away,  or  even  making  successive  crusts 
of  the  stone  fall  off. 

"  Again,  rocks  which  are  at  one  time  well  soaked  with  rain, 
and  at  another  time  are  liable  to  be  dried  by  the  sun's  rays  and  by 
wind,  are  apt  to  crumble  away.  If  then  it  be  true,  as  it  is,  that  a 
general  wasting  of  the  surface  of  the  land  goes  on,  you  may  nat- 
urally ask  why  this  should  be.  Out  of  the  crumbled  stones  all 
soil  is  made,  and  on  the  formation  and  renewal  of  the  soil  we 
depend  for  our  daily  food. 

"  Take  up  a  handful  of  soil  from  any  field  or  garden,  and  look 
at  it  attentively.  What  is  it  made  of  ?  You  see  little  pieces  of 
crumbling  stone,  particles  of  sand  and  clay,  perhaps  a  few  vege- 
table fibers  ;  and  the  whole  soil  has  a  dark  color  from  the  decayed 
remains  of  plants  and  animals  diffused  through  it.  Now  let  us 
try  to  learn  how  these  different  materials  have  been  brought  to- 
gether. 

"  Every  drop  of  rain  which  falls  upon  the  land  helps  to  alter  the 
surface.  You  have  followed  the  chemical  action  of  rain  when  it 
dissolves  parts  of  rocks.  It  is  by  the .  constant  repetition  of  the 
process,  drop  after  drop,  and  shower  after  shower,  for  years  to- 
gether, that  the  rocks  become  so  wasted  and  worn.  But  the  rain 
has  also  a  mechanical  action. 

"  Watch  what  happens  when  the  first  pattering  drops  of  a  show- 
er begin  to  fall  upon  a  smooth  surface  of  sand,  such  as  that  of  a 
beach.  Each  drop  makes  a  little  dent  or  impression.  It  thus 
forces  aside  the  grains  of  sand.  On  sloping  ground,  where  the 
drops  can  run  together  and  flow  downward,  they  are  able  to  push 
or  carry  the  particles  of  sand  or  clay  along.  This  is  called  a 
mechanical  action  ;  while  the  actual  solution  of  the  particles,  as 
you  would  dissolve  sugar  or  salt,  a  chemical  action.  Each  drop  of 
rain  may  act  in  either  or  both  of  these  ways. 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  93 

"  Now  you  will  readily  see  how  it  is  that  rain  does  so  much  in 
the  destruction  of  rocks.  It  not  only  dissolves  out  some  parts  of 
them,  and  leaves  a  crumbling  crust  on  the  surface,  but  it  washes 
away  this  crust,  and  thereby  exposes  a  fresh  surface  to  decay. 
There  is  in  this  way  a  continual  pushing  along  of  powdered  stone 
over  the  earth's  surface.  Part  of  this  material  accumulates  in  hol- 
lows, and  on  sloping  or  level  ground  ;  part  is  swept  into  the  rivers 
and  carried  away  into  the  sea.  As  the  mouldering  of  the  surface 
of  the  land  is  always  going  on,  there  is  a  constant  formation  of 
soil.  Indeed,  if  this  were  not  the  case,  if  after  a  layer  of  soil  had 
been  formed  upon  the  ground,  it  were  to  remain  there  unmoved 
and  unrenewed,  the  plants  would  by  degrees  take  out  of  it  all.  the 
earthy  materials  they  could,  and  leave  it  in  a  barren  or  exhausted 
state.  But  some  of  it  is  being  slowly  carried  away  by  rain,  fresh 
particles  from  mouldering  rocks  are  being  washed  over  it  by  the 
same  agent,  while  the  rock  or  subsoil  underneath  is  all  the  while 
decaying  into  soil.  The  loose  stones,  too,  are  continually  crum- 
bling down  and  making  new  earth.  And  thus,  day  by  day,  the 
soil  is  slowly  renewed. 

"  Plants,  also,  help  to  form  and  renew  the  soil.  They  send  their 
roots  among  the  grains  and  joints  of  the  stones,  and  loosen  theai 
Their  decaying  fibers  supply  most  of  the  carbonic  acid  by  which 
these  stones  are  attacked,  and  furnish  also  most  of  the  organic 
matter  in  the  soil.  Even  the  common  worms,  which  you  see  when 
you  dig  up  a  spadeful  of  earth,  are  of  great  service  in  mixing  the 
soil  and  bringing  what  lies  underneath  up  to  the  surface. 

"  One  part  of  the  rain  sinks  under  the  ground,  and  you  have 
traced  its  progress  there  until  it  comes  to  the  surface  again.  You 
have  now  to  trace,  in  a  similar  way,  the  other  portion  of  the  rain- 
fall which  flows  along  the  surface  in  brooks  and  rivers. 

"  You  cannot  readily  meet  with  a  better  illustration  of  this  sub- 


94  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

ject  than  that  which  is  furnished  by  a  gently  sloping  road  during 
a  heavy  shower  of  rain.  Let  us  suppose  that  you  know  such  a 
road,  and  that  just  as  the  rain  is  beginning  you  take  up  your 
station  at  some  part  where  the  road  has  a  well-marked  descent.  At 
first  you  notice  that  each  of  the  large  heavy  drops  of  rain  makes 
in  the  dust,  or  sand,  one  of  the  little  dints  or  rain-prints  already 
described.  As  the  shower  gets  heavier  these  rain-prints  are  ef- 
faced, and  the  road  soon  streams  with  water.  Now  mark  in  what 
manner  the  water  moves. 

"  Looking  at  the  road  more  narrowly,  you  remark  that  it  is  full 
of  little  roughnesses — at  one  place  a  long  rut,  at  another  a  pro- 
jecting stone,  with  many  more  inequalities  which  your  eye  could 
not  easily  detect  when  the  road  was  dry,  but  which  the  water  at 
once  discloses.  Every  little  dimple  and  projection  affects  the  flow 
of  the  water.  You  see  how  the  raindrops  gather  together  into 
slender  streamlets  of  running  water  which  course  along  the  hol- 
lows, and  how  the  jutting  stones  and  pieces  of  earth  seem  to  turn 
these  streamlets  now  to  one  side,  and  again  to  another. 

"  Toward  the  top  of  the  slope  only  feeble  runnels  of  wrater  are  to 
be  seen,  but  further  down  they  become  fewer  in  number  and  at 
the  same  time,  larger  in  size.  They  unite  as  they  descend,  and  the 
larger  and  swifter  streamlets  at  the  foot  of  the  descent  are  thus 
made  up  of  a  great  many  smaller  ones  from  the  higher  parts  of  the 
slope. 

"  Why  does  the  water  run  down  the  sloping  road  ?  Why  do 
rivers  flow?  Why  should  they  always  move  constantly  in  the 
same  direction  ?  They  do  so  for  the  same  reason  that  a  stone  falls 
to  the  ground  when  it  drops  out  of  your  hand;  because  they  are 
under  the  sway  of  that  attraction  toward  the  center  of  the  earth, 
to  which,  as  you  know,  the  name  of  gravity  is  given.  Every  drop 
of  rain  falls  to  the  earth  because  it  is  drawn  downward  bv  the. 


THE   XEW   AGRICULTURE.  95 

force  of  attraction.  "When  it  reaches  the  ground  it  is  still,  as 
much  as  ever,  under  the  same  influence,  and  it  flows  downward  in 
the  readiest  channel  it  can  find.  Its  fall  from  the  clouds  to  the 
earth  is  direct  and  rapid,  its  descent  from  the  mountains  to  the 
sea  as  part  of  a  stream  is  often  long  and  slow;  "but  the  cause  of  the 
movement  is  the  same  in  either  case.  The  winding  to  and  fro  of 
streams,  the  rush  of  rapids,  the  roar  of  cataracts,  the  noiseless  flow 
of  the  deep  sullen  currents,  are  all  proofs  how  paramount  is  the 
sway  of  the  law  of  gravity  over  the  waters  of  the  globe. 

"  Drawn  down  in  this  way  by  the  action  of  gravity,  all  that  por- 
tion of  the  rain  which  does  not  sink  into  the  earth  must  at  once 
begin  to  move  downward  along  the  nearest  slopes,  and  continue 
flowing  until  it  can  get  no  farther.  On  the  surface  of  the  land 
there  are  hollows,  called  lakes,  which  arrest  part  of  the  flowing 
water  just  as  there  are  hollows  on  the  road  which  serve  to  collect 
some  of  the  rain.  But  in  most  cases  they  let  the  water  run  out  at 
the  lower  end  as  fast  as  it  runs  in  at  the  upper,  and  therefore  do 
not  serve  as  permanent  resting-places  for  the  water.  The  streams 
which  issue  from  lakes  go  on  as  before,  working  their  way  to  the 
sea-shore.  So  that  the  course  of  all  streams  is  a  downward  one, 
and  the  sea  is  a  great  reservoir  into  which  the  water  of  the  land  is 
continually  pouring. 

"  The  brooks  and  rivers  of  a  country  are  thus  the  natural  drain, 
by  which  the  surplus  rainfall,  not  required  by  the  soil,  or  by 
springs,  is  led  back  again  into  the  sea.  When  we  consider  the 
great  amount  of  rain,  and  the  enormous  number  of  brooks  in  the 
higher  part  of  the  country,  it  seems,  at  first,  hardly  possible  for  all 
these  streams  to  reach  the  sea  without  overflowing  the  lower 
grounds.  But  this  does  not  take  place,  for  when  two  streams  unite 
in  one,  they  do  not  require  a  channel  twice  as  broad  as  either  of 
their  single  water  courses.  On  the  contrary,  such  an  union  gives 


96  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

rise  to  a  stream  which  is  not  so  broad  as  either  of  the  two  from 
which  it  flows.  But  it  becomes  swifter  and  deeper. 

"Let  us  return  to  the  illustrations  of  the  roadway  and  rain. 
Starting  from  the  foot  of  the  slope,  you  found  the  streamlets  of 
rain  getting  cmaller  and  smaller,  and  when  you  came  to  the  top 
there  were  none  at  all.  If,  however,  you  were  to  descend  the  road  on 
the  other  side  of  the  ridge,  you  would  probably  meet  with  other 
streamlets  coursing  down  hill  in  the  opposite  direction.  At  the 
summit  the  rain  seems  to  divide,  part  flowing  off  to  one  side,  and 
part  to  the  other. 

"  In  the  same  way,  were  you  to  ascend  some  river  from  the  sea, 
you  would  watch  it  becoming  narrower  as  you  traced  it  inland,  and 
branching  more  and  more  into  tributary  streams,  and  these  again 
subdividing  into  almost  endless  little  brooks.  But  take  any  of  the 
branches  which  unite  to  form  the  main  stream,  and  trace  it  upward. 
You  come  in  the  end  to  the  beginning  of  a  little  brook,  and  going 
a  little  farther,  you  reach  the  summit,  down  the  other  side  of 
which  all  the  streams  are  flowing  to  the  opposite  quarter.  The 
line  which  separates  two  sets  of  streams  in  this  way  is  called  the 
watershed.  In  England,  for  example,  one  series  of  rivers  flows 
into  the  Atlantic,  another  into  the  North  Sea.  If  you  trace  upon  a 
map  a  line  separating  all  the  upper  streams  of  one  side  from  those 
of  the  other,  that  line  will  mark  the  water  shed  of  the  country. 
But  there  is  one  important  point  where  the  illustration  of  the  road 
in  rain  quite  fails.  It  is  only  when  rain  is  falling,  or  immediately 
after  a  heavy  shower,  that  the  rills  are  seen  upon  the  road.  "When 
the  rain  ceases  the  water  begins  to  dry  up,  till  in  a  short  time,  the 
road  becomes  once  more  firm  and  dusty.  But  the  brooks  and 
rivers  do  not  cease  to  flow  when  the  rain  ceases  to  fall.  In  the 
heat  of  summer,  when  perhaps  there  has  been  no  rain  for  many 
days  together,  the  rivers  still  roll  on,  smaller  usually  than  they 


THE   NEW    AGRICULTURE.  97 

were  in  winter,  but  still  with  ample  flow.  What  keeps  them  full  ? 
If  you  remember  what  you  have  already  been  told  about  under- 
ground water,  you  will  answer  that  rivers  are  fed  by  springs  as 
well  as  by  rains. 

"  Though  the  weather  may  be  rainless,  the  springs  continue  to 
give  out  their  supplies  of  water,  and  these  keep  the  rivers  going. 
But  if  great  drought  conies,  many  of  the  springs,  particularly  the 
shallow  ones,  cease  to  flow,  and  the  rivers  fed  \>y  them  shrink  up 
or  get  dry  altogether.  The  great  rivers  of  the  globe,  such  as  the 
Mississippi,  drain  such  vast  territories,  that  any  mere  local  rain  or 
drought  makes  no  sensible  difference  in  their  mass  of  water. 

"  In  some  parts  of  the  world,  however,  the  rivers  are  larger  in 
summer  and  autumn  than  they  are  in  winter  and  spring.  The 
Rhine,  for  instance,  begins  to  rise  as  the  heat  of  summer  increases, 
and  to  fall  as  the  cold  of  winter  comes  on.  This  happens  because 
the  river  has  its  source  among  snowy  mountains.  Snow  melts 
rapidly  in  summer,  and  the  water  which  streams  from  it  finds  its 
way  into  the  brooks  and  rivers,  which  are  thereby  greatly  swollen. 
In  winter,  on  the  other  hand,  the  snow  remains  unmelted  ;  the 
moisture  which  falls  from  the  air  upon  the  mountains  is  chiefly 
snow  ;  and  the  cold  is  such  as  to  freeze  the  brooks.  Hence  the 
supplies  of  water  at  the  source  of  these  rivers  are,  in  winter, 
greatly  diminished,  and  the  rivers  themselves  become  proportion- 
ately smaller." 

In  conclusion  of  this  chapter,  and  by  way  of  complete  demon- 
stration of  the  wonderful  effects  of  subsurface  irrigation,  we  quote 
from  an  article  telling  a  story  which,  read  by  the  average  farmer 
and  gardener,  cannot  fail  to  prove  convincing.  These  surely  will 
be  glad  to  know  that  the  way  has  been  found  to  escape  the  calam- 
ities to  which  producers  have  been  hitherto  subjected  on  account 
of  frosts,  floods  and  droughts.  Nor  will  it  become  necessary  to 


98  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

argue  the  case  in  the  newspapers  and  publish  books  to  convince 
them  that  to  adopt  our  system  is  the  way  and  the  only  way  open  to 
reliance  upon  a  full  and  perfect  crop  year  in  and  year  out. 

Having  in  previous  chapter  made  mention  of  the  subterranean 
river  in  lower  California,  where,  in  the  midst  of  the  desert  is  found 
a  valley  of  perpetual  green  abounding  in  rarest  productions  of  the 
fruits  of  the  earth,  we  proceed  to  quote  from  the  article  referred  to, 
as  it  appeared  in  Harper's  Monthly  for  April,  under  head  of  "Along 
the  Rio  Grande." 

"It  was  the  wonderful  fertility  of  the  far-famed  Mesilla  which 
led  to  its  purchase  from  Mexico  by  the  United  States,  under  the 
Gadsden  treaty,  moving  the  boundary  about  thirty  miles  south- 
ward and  making  American  citizens  of  the  Mesilleros.  La  Mesilla 
is  a  charming  looking  place  with  luxuriant  gardens  and  noble 
trees  densely  shading  its  streets.  The  United  States  land  office  for 
the  southern  part  of  New  Mexico  is  here,  and  the  great  excess  in 
the  number  of  paid  up  mining  claims  over  those  of  the  northern 
district  at  Santa  Fe,  speaks  well  for  the  prosperity  of  the  mining 
interest  of  the  section. 

"Contemplating  the  uncultivated  soil,  one  wonders  where  the 
Mesilla  Valley  got  its  fame  for  fertility,  since  it  apparently  consists 
of  barren  sand,  tufted  with  rank  weeds.  But  an  abundance  of 
sunshine  and  water,  works  wonders  here,  as  is  testified  by  the  rich 
tilled  fields,  and  the  many  beautiful  orchards  and  vineyards.  The 
profits  of  agriculture  here  are  great.  One  of  the  leading  citizens 
of  Mesilla,  is  said  to  have  an  annual  income  of  something  like  ten 
thousand  dollars  from  eighteen  acres  of  vineyard  and  orchard. 
Several  hundred  acres  of  prairie  land  would  hardly  accomplish  so 
much.  The  mildness  of  the  climate  is  shown  by  the  existence  of  a 
beautiful  large  fig  tree  in  the  patio  of  one  of  the  Mesilla  houses. 
Considerable  Mesilla  wine  is  now  taken  east  by  the  railway,  and  it 


THE    NEW   AGRICULTUKE.  99 

is  averred  that  in  the  hands  of  New  York  dealers,  the  Mesilla  label 
is  not  infrequently  replaced  by  the  legend  "  Fine  Old  Sherry'" 

"  The  onion  is  a  famous  product  of  the  Mesilla  Valley  ;  it  grows 
to  an  enormous  size — larger  than  I  have  ever  seen  or  heard  of 
elsewhere.  Onions  seven  or  eight  inches  in  diameter  are  not 
uncommon. 

"  The  Acequias  madres,  the  "  mother  canals  "  of  the  irrigating 
system,  broad  and  shaded  by  fine  trees,  are  a  beautiful  feature  of 
the  scenery.  Their  water  is  of  a  tawny  orange,  and  flows  as  rap- 
idly as  the  river.  It  is  genially  warm  ;  delightful  for  bathing, 
despite  the  abundant  earthy  matter  held  in  suspension.  The  fear 
has  been  expressed  that  it  would  be  hardly  possible  to  irrigate  the 
Mesilla  Valley  much  more  extensively  than  at  present,  as  the  water 
Hupply  is  scanty,  and  in  some  seasons  the  river  runs  dry  alto- 
gether ;  but  it  is  likely  that  a  system  of  wells  would  make  the 
water  supply  ample  enough  for  all  demands. 

"  In  Syria  extensive  vineyards  are  irrigated  from  large  wells  dug 
for  the  purpose,  and  some  day  it  may  be  found  profitable  to  apply 
the  same  idea  to  the  Mesilla  Valley.  The  water  of  the  river  under- 
lies the  whole  valley  bottom.  A  few  feet  below  the  ground  at  any 
place  water  is  always  found  in  abundance.  This  accounts  for  the 
magnificent  trees  in  La  Mesilla.  Their  roots  strike  down  into  the 
ground  water,  so  that  in  the  driest  of  weather  and  fiercest  of  heats, 
they  are  never  athirst,  but  always  proudly  lift  up  their  crowns  of 
deep  emerald.  Fruit  trees,  after  a  good  start,  never  require  irri- 
gation. They  grow  very  large  here,  and  in  the  enormous  peach 
trees  one  would  hardly  recognize  the  short  lived  tree  of  the 
North." 


CHAPTER  in. 


DESCKIPTION    OF   THE   NEW    SYSTEM "  HOME    ON     THE   HILLSIDE  " THE   HOT 

WATER    METHOD. 


Those  of  our  readers  who  have  followed  us  through  the  intro- 
ductory chapter  and  especially  in  that  section  of  it  where  the 
methods  of  "  The  New  Agriculture  "  have  been  described  by  visit- 
ing farmers  and  agricultural  editors,  have  not  failed  to  get  a  suc- 
cint  idea  of  the  new  system,  hence  it  is  unnecessary  for  us  to  give 
in  this  chapter  more  than  a  simple  resume  of  the  methods  adopted 
by  us  at  our  "Home  on  the  Hillside." 

The  processes  of  "  The  New  Agriculture "  are  so  simple  and 
plain  that  the  average  intelligence  can  not  only  understand  and 
apply  it,  but  having  so  conformed  soils  as  to  set  the  system  in 
operation,  he  may  go  to  sleep  and  leave  it  to  run  itself,  which  it 
will  do,  year  in  and  year  out,  winter  and  summer  alike,  and  so  per- 
fect will  be  found  its  work  at  all  times  as  to  result  in  the  utmost 
possibilities  of  production. 

To  conform  soils  under  our  system,  the  ordinary  laborer  has 
only  to  move  along  the  hillside  with  plow,  pick  and  spade,  sink- 
ing trenches  three,  four  or  five  feet  wide,  and  as  many  feet  deep  ; 
of  sufficient  depth,  at  least,  to  drop  the  waters  below  the  frost  lines, 
guided  by  no  level  other  than  the  water  moving  along  the  bottom 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  101 

of  the  trench.  Then  cast  in  round  stones  to  the  depth  of  from 
eighteen  inches  to  two  feet,  and  shingle  perfectly  with  flat  ones 
when  obtainable,  and  flat  tile  or  timber  where  stones  are  not  ac- 
cessible, and  in  the  absence  of  round  stone,  making  use  of  tile  so 
conformed  as  to  secure  reservoirs.  Then  rake  out  the  fine  stone 
from  excavations  for  use  in  the  construction  of  overflow  trenches, 
in  which,  if  stone  is  not  procurable,  use  tile,  perforated  or  those 
leaking  at  joints,  or  making  use,  if  disposed,  of  other  suitable  ma- 
terial. 

On  reaching  level  or  bottom  lands  during  construction,  the 
overflow  trenches  should  be  so  constructed  as  to  secure  a  continued 
flow  through  them  from  each  successive  reservoir  trench. 

Let  no  reader  doubt  that,  in  regions  where  rains  and  dews  de- 
scend and  snows  fall,  the  waters,  always  in  motion  so  that  stagna- 
tion in  no  case  occurs,  will  not  only  find  their  way  into  the  trenches 
filtered  and  filtering  as  they  flow,  but  will  emerge  in  form  of  springs 
or  enter  streams  at  their  bottoms,  with  soils  of  the  surface  remain- 
ing unwashed  and  steadily  fertilized  by  the  flow  of  waters  through 
them.  When  the  waters  come  to  the  cold  clay  and  clod  of  the  sub- 
soil the  latter  will  be  aerated,  warmed,  loosened  and  rendered  soft, 
porous  and  productive  to  the  depth  of  the  deepest  trenching,  and 
every  acre  thus  treated  will  be  increased  in  value  and  that  perma- 
nently to  a  degree  vastly  lucrative. 

Let  us  suppose  that  a  farmer  has  a  hillside  and  that  he  has 
adopted  our  system,  in  which  case  he  goes  to  work  as  follows: 

A  ditch  is  opened  on  a  water-level  along  the  side  hill  or  slope, 
say  a  yard  wide  and  from  three  to  five  feet  deep.  At  the  bottom 
of  this  ditch  is  loosely  placed  cobble  and  blocky  stones  for  a  foot 
or  two,  then  flat  stones  are  laid  over  these,  then  a  quantity  of 
smaller  stones;  cover  these  over  with  weeds,  briars,  bramble,  fine 
brush,  straw,  cornstalks  or  any  available  material,  to  prevent  the 


102  THE   NEW   AGKICULTURE. 

fine  earth  from  falling  among  and  filling  the  crevices  between  the 
stones.  A  heavy  coating  of  manure  may  follow  and  then  the  ex- 
cavated soil  is  to  be  spread  over  it,  grading  a  terrace  if  desired. 
"Whatever  course  the  trench  may  take,  the  surface  of  the  hard-pan 
at  the  lower  side  of  the  ditch  or  trench  must  never  vary  from  a 
water-level.  A  series  of  such  ditches,  one-  above  the  other,  are 
dug  a  rod  or  so  apart  and  similarly  filled,  over  as  large  a  surface 
as  is  to  be  improved,  each  forming  an  elongated  reservoir  which 
will  be  filled  by  the  water  courses  cut  off,  or  by  the  melting  snows 
and  early  rains;  and,  if  the  subsoil  is  firm  clay  or  hard-pan,  it  will 
be  retained  and  as  the  surface  soil  dries  it  will  be  absorbed  by 
capillary  action  and  brought  within  reach  of  the  roots  of  vege- 
tation. See  diagrams  on  opposite  page. 

In  regions  where  the  conditions  are  favorable,  suffice  it  to  say 
that  land  fitted  as  above  described,  will  with  wonderful  celerity  and 
great  economy  produce  most  surprising  results. 

If  the  reader  will  take  the  above  brief  description  of  our 
methods  and  consider  it  carefully  in  connection  with  the  cuts  illus- 
trating our  system,  he  will  find  no  difficulty  in  understanding  the 
principles  of  its  construction.  A  few  points  only  remain  to  be 
stated  to  make  it  perfectly  plain: 

In  soils  where  fine  stone  can  be  raked  out,  it  should  be  done  for 
the  purpose  of  constructing  the  connecting  overflow  trenches. 
These  overflow  trenches  should  be  in  the  subsoil,  and  filled  with 
fine  stone  to  a  depth  of  a  foot,  at  least,  and  shingled  with  flat 
ones  in  the  same  manner  as  the  reservoir  trenches.  All  shingling 
should  be  of  sufficient  depth  to  escape  the  plow  or  the  deepest 
spading. 

The  construction  of  overflow  trenches,  bearing  the  waters  from 
the  reservoir  at  base  of  slope,  will  need  to  be  as  perfectly  done  as 
possible.  The  finer  the  stone  below  the  shingling,  and  the  more 


A  A.  Surface  soil. 

£.  Trenches. 

C.  Subsoil. 

D.  Overflow  trenches. 

E.  Outlet  or  drainage  trench. 


Patented  July  22J,  1884 


DIAOBAM8    OF   NKW   SYSTEM. 


THE   NEW   AGBICULTURE.  105 

perfect  the  shingling,  the  more  complete  will  filtration  be  found, 
the  more  crystal  the  waters  as  they  emerge  into  the  stream  and 
the  more  complete  will  be  the  work  of  leaving  solids  behin  d  as 
food  for  plants.  The  head  of  the  overfloAV  trenches  at  base  of 
slope  should  be  at  least  twelve  or  eighteen  inches  above  the 
bottom  of  the  reservoirs.  In  most  cases,  when  the  flat  or  bottom 
land  of  the  valley  is  reached,  the  construction  of  overflow  trenches 
should  have  an  oblique  direction  towards  the  stream,  or  lowest 
point  aimed  at,  in  order  to  secure  sufficient  fall  to  keep  the  waters 
freely  moving.  Two  or  three  inches  of  fall  to  the  rod  will  be  am- 
ple and  where  this  is  not  obtainable,  less  will  suffice. 

On  the  west  bank  of  the  Genesee,  at  a  point  about  twenty 
miles  from  its  source,  is  found  our  "  Home  on  the  Hillside,"  with 
its  model  five  acres,  where  the  author  of  this  volume  is  engaged  in 
demonstrating  what  may  be  done  by  conformation  of  soils  and 
conservation  of  the  waters.  Nothing  has  been,  or  will  be,  left  un- 
done to  make  our  model  so  far  perfect  as  to  develope  the  entire 
possibilities  of  production,  hence  calculations  of  cost,  based  upon 
our  own  experiment,  will  be  found  greatly  at  fault.  An  equal  area 
put  under  conditions  ensuring  an  average  yield  annually  of  from 
three  to  five  fold  of  that  hitherto  realized  under  former  systems, 
would  likely  be  cultivated  by  parties  gardening  for  profit;  in  this 
case  the  expense  would  be  only  from  one-fourth  to  one-half  of  the 
amount  laid  out  on  our  model. 

The  location  of  our  home,  could  not  well  be  improved,  looking 
out  as  it  does  toward  the  East  at  the  sun  in  its  rising.  A  town  of 
about  four  thousand  population  lies  in  the  valley  below,  through 
which  runs  the  far  famed  Genesee  Kiver  for  a  distance  of  about 
forty  miles  above  the  Portage.  In  confluence  with  the  river  at 
this  point,  several  tributaries  unite,  forming  dells  of  rare  beauty 
and  attraction.  All  about  the  town  rise  up  lofty  hills  on  which 


106  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

are  seen  comfortable  dwellings  with  cultivated  fields  surrounding. 
A  few  only  of  the  summits  remain  forest  crowned.  No  town  with- 
in our  knowledge  of  like  population,  boasts  a  larger  number  of 
elegant  dwellings.  In  looking  out  from  our  observatory,  the  view 
is  one  far  reaching,  both  up  and  down  the  valley,  and  it  is  seldom 
surpassed. 

Not  completely  is  our  home  a  model,  nor  do  we  propose  to  pre- 
sent it  as  such,  and  yet,  having  planted  here  the  garden  whose 
green  in  the  season  has  no  parallel,  altitude  and  latitude  considered 
outside  of  isothermal  influences,  we  assume  that  the  accompany- 
ing engraving  of  it  will  be  of  interest  to  our  readers.  "Were  the 
hillside  of  gentler  slope,  the  effect  would,  in  the  eyes  of  some  peo- 
ple, be  a  more  pleasing  one,  and  yet,  such  has  been  the  effect  of 
spade,  pick,  hoe  and  rake,  as  to  make  gradation  so  uniform  and 
gentle  in  decline,  as  to  produce  a  most  pleasing  effect.  So  tall  and 
symmetric  are  the  trees  crowning  the  summit,  and  so  lustrous  the 
green  of  the  garden,  whether  in  bud,  blossom  or  fruitage,  such  is 
the  scene  presented  as  to  delight  all  who  visit  us.  Here  in  mid- 
summer when  the  season  proves  one  of  ordinary  fruition,  will 
doubtless  be  discovered  a  greater  wealth  of  production  than  on 
any  equal  space,  not  under  glass,  in  America. 

Above  and  to  the  west  of  the  house,  covering  an  area  of  less 
than  two  acres,  trenching,  fitting  and  planting  to  trees,bushes  and 
vines  is  complete.  The  trenches  above  do  not  quite  flanlj  the  rear 
of  the  lawn  to  the  east  of  the  house,  embracing  about  the  sixteenth 
of  an  acre.  The  lawn  is  planted  with  trees,  chiefly  the  sugar  ma- 
ple, grown  to  impressive  proportions.  The  surface  of  the  lawn  is 
one  of  the  gentlest  incline  and  were  it  not  for  injury  to  roots  of 
the  trees  trenching  would  be  forthwith  pushed  to  the  south  and 
east,  as  already  done  to  the  north  and  west  of  the  house,  so  that 
the  green  of  the  grass  at  all  seasons  of  the  year  might  evidence 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  107 

the  magic  inspiration  coming  of  conserved  waters  at  spring  water 
temperature.  Let  nobody  conclude  however  that  we  propose  to 
let  our  lawn  remain  in  its  present  condition.  Despite  possible 
damage  to  our  trees  from  cutting  off  a  portion  of  their  roots,  we 
propose  to  trench  this  lawn  and  make  connection  with  the  network 
of  trenches  and  drains  to  the  north  and  west  of  the  house,  thus 
surrounding  the  earth  with  hidden  waters,  warmer  in  winter  and 
cooler  in  summer  than  the  atmosphere. 

The  question  will  doubtless  be  asked,  can  homes  everywhere  be 
thus  environed  ?  Our  answer  is,  yes,  beyond  doubt,  especially 
those  located  on  hill  and  mountain  sides,  slopes  and  inclines;  and 
that  too,  regardless  of  subsoil.  That  this  can  be  more  economically 
and  readily  done  where  firm  clay  or  hard-pan  subsoils  are  found, 
than  on  those  where  these  conditions  do  not  exist,  is  true,  but  we 
repeat  our  declaration  that  it  can  be  done  on  other  lands  by  the 
use  of  substitutes,  doing  no  more  than  facing  the  bottom  of  the 
trench  to  the  depth  of  two  or  three  inches  with  clay,  cement  or  flat 
tile,  thus  permitting  the  trench  to  fill  with  water  during  rains.  If 
reserve  is  an  object  it  can  be  accomplished  by  facing  the  lower 
wall  of  the  trench  with  like  material  within  two  feet  of  the  surface, 
and  by  arranging  an  inclined  plane  of  kindred  material,  thus  hold- 
ing the  waters  in  uniform  currents  of  overflow  from  trench  to 
trench.  Whatever  the  character  of  subsoil  existing  in  lawns,  door- 
yards,  gardens  and  grounds  surrounding  the  dwelling,  systems  of 
reservoirs,  planes  and  inclines  can  be  so  arranged  as  to  prove  auto- 
matic, and  the  waters  kept  moving  in  continuous  flow,  feeding  and 
watering  grasses,  plants  and  trees  at  deepest  root,  always  in  abun- 
dance, and  never  in  surfeit. 

Certain  gross  misrepresentations  have  been  made  and  reports 
set  in  circulation  that  we  had  made  use  of  springs  or  other 
natural  and  artificial  sources  of  supply  to  secure  results  reached 


108  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

under  our  system  of  subsurface,  subterranean  or  underground 
irrigation.  All  of  these  have  not  enough  of  foundation  to  be  dig- 
nified by  contradiction.  There  is  not  one  man  in  America  of  ordin- 
ary intelligence  who  is  not  capable  of  understanding,  after  reading 
the  preceding  pages  of  this  volume,  that  a  system  which  gathers  in 
all  of  the  waters  coming  of  rains,  dews  and  melting  snows,  beget- 
ting perpetual  irrigation  during  every  month  in  the  year,  needs  no 
artificial  sources  of  supply,  and  we  will  not  insult  our  readers  by 
entering  upon  a  discussion  of  so  absurd  a  supposition  that  after 
saving  all  waters  falling  from  the  clouds  upon  a  given  watershed, 
more  is  needed  for  the  growth  of  plants.  Under  old  methods  and 
conditions  fully  nine-tenths  of  the  water  of  rains,  and  nearly  all 
waters  of  melting  snows,  have  been  wasted  in  floods,  hurried  off  by 
the  insensate  use  of  tile,  or  absurd  systems  of  drainage;  and  when 
it  comes  to  snow  waters,  these  nearly  all  reach  the  streams  along 
frozen  grounds  and  are  lost.  Under  our  system  all  are  saved,  such 
portions  used  as  needed,  and  the  remainder  passes  off  in  purity  to 
streams  in  the  valleys. 

Up  to  this  point,  discussion  has  been  confined  to  the  uses  and 
influences  of  the  waters  as  they  fall  from  the  clouds,  and  find  their 
way  into  trenches  at  spring  water  temperature. 

Now,  however,  we  will  treat  of  that  feature  of  our  system  where- 
in a  steady  stream  of  cold  water,  drawn  from  a  trench  or  reservoir 
above,  is  passed  through  a  coiled  pipe  or  boiler,  and  then  emerg- 
ing, is  dropped  into  the  trench,  the  stones  heated  and  by  surface 
protection,  the  winter  months  are,  to  a  great  extent,  made  those  of 
production.  Let  the  following  serve  as  an  illustration. 

"  A  curious  experiment  has  lately  been  made  at  Acqui,  Italy,  by 
the  proprietor  of  some  baths  there.  The  gentleman  has  at  his  dis- 
posal an  inexhaustible  supply  of  hot  water  from  a  natural  spring, 
the  temperature  being  167  degrees  Fahrenheit.  The  surplus  not 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  109 

required  for  the  baths  has  been  diverted  so  as  to  flow  through 
pipes  to  a  garden  on  the  outskirts  of  the  town.  Here  the  warm 
liquid  flows  beneath  a  number  of  forcing  frames  containing  melons, 
tomatoes,  asparagus  and  other  garden  produce.  The  result  is 
that  a  supply  of  these  delicacies  is  ready  for  market  at  a  very  early 
period  of  the  year,  when,  therefore,  they  fetch  high  prices." 

The  significant  feature  of  this  method  is  the  fact  that  evapora- 
tion of  the  waters  at  this  high  temperature  is  graduated  and  kept 
up  night  and  day  by  heating  of  the  stones  in  trenches  constructed 
on  substantially  the  same  principles  as  those  sunk  under  our  sys- 
tem, hence  the  results  realized.  The  great  drawback  hitherto,  to 
the  adoption  of  methods  in  this  country,  akin  to  those  of  Europe, 
viz.  that  of  bottom  heat,  has  been  the  difficulty  and  expense  attend- 
ing keeping  up  fires  night  and  day,  securing  the  uniformity  of 
temperature  required  for  success.  The  case  in  which  the  barber 
in  Italy  quoted  above  makes  use  of  the  waters  of  hot  springs  to 
turn  winter  into  summer,  is  by  no  means  an  isolated  one,  since  in 
many  cases  throughout  Europe,  this  is  being  done,  and  with  grati- 
fying success.  The  finest  of  pineapples  and  other  tropical  fruits 
are  grown  in  England  by  bottom  heat.  There  is  no  good  reason 
why  the  expensive,  and  in  many  instances  unsatisfactory  methods 
of  glass  and  green-house  should  not  give  way  in  our  own  country, 
and  that  Europe  should  have  the  monopoly  of  growing  the  hardier 
varieties  of  vegetables  and  fruits  in  midwinter,  when  by  surface 
protection  of  cambric  dipped  in  oil,  and  by  the  addition  of  glass 
the  fruits  of  the  tropics  may  be  readily  grown  in  this  country. 

Not  unlikely  our  book  may  fall  into  the  hands  of  readers  un- 
aware of  the  fact,  that  natural  gas  as  fuel  is  being  used  in  thou- 
sands of  households  in  certain  sections  of  our  country.  The  cold 
winter  through  which  we  have  passed  has  not  been  nearly  so 
rigorous  with  ourself  and  neighbors  on  account  of  this  wonderful 


110  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

agency.  Not  only  "NVellsville  but  Friendship,  Cuba,  Bolivar,  Rich- 
burg1,  Allentown,  Genesee  and  others  of  our  Allegany  county  towns 
in  the  state  of  New  York  are  being  supplied  with  it,  but  Pitts- 
burgh and  numberless  other  cities  and  towns  of  Pennsylvania, 
Ohio  and  West  Virginia,  have  been,  and  are  being,  made  recipients 
of  its  blessings.  No  fuel  compares  with  it,  nor  is  any  provision  of 
the  Creator  of  greater  benificence.  Discovery  of  its  existence,  to  a 
greater  or  less  extent,  is  being  made  in  all  parts  of  our  country, 
and  so  soon  as  the  inhabitants  of  colder  and  more  inhospitable 
regions  find  out  that  they  have  only  to  dip  down  with  the  drill, 
and  bring  up  from  the  cold  clods  of  earth  a  fire  which  burns  night 
and  day,  comforting  many  of  the  inhabitants  of  earth,  there  will 
be  less  digging  for  gold,  and  more  for  golden  opportunities. 

Let  nobody  wait,  however,  for  gas  developement  in  order  to  ap- 
ply our  system  as  a  substitute  for  the  greenhouse.  Coal  and 
wood  are  abundant  in  most  portions  of  our  country,  and  these  can 
be  used  for  heating  water  with  which  to  warm  the  stone  in  the 
trenches. 


CHAPTEE  IV. 


PRACTICAL   RESULTS    OP   THE   NEW   SYSTEM. 


Mr.  Stewart  in  his  practical  work  prints  the  following  notes  on 
the  growth  of  crops  more  especially  those  of  grasses  : 

"  What  are  the  ultimate  possibilities  of  growth  in  any  crop  is 
unknown,  but  it  would  seem  as  though  they  depended  greatly  upon 
the  supply  of  water  absorbed,  sufficient  nutriment,  of  course,  being 
provided.  Rye  grass  upon  irrigated  fields,  richly  fertilized,  has 
grown  at  the  rate  of  one  inch  per  day,  and  repeated  cuttings  have 
been  made  at  intervals  of  fourteen  days,  during  a  season  of 
months.  Crops  of  grass  on  irrigated  fields  of  a  total  weight  of 
more  than  eighty  tons  per  acre  have  been  reported  by  trustworthy 
English  farmers.  Irrigated  grass  fields  in  Italy  support  easily 
two  head  of  fattening  cattle  per  acre,  every  year,  and  have  long 
done  so.  In  hundreds  of  localities  in  European  countries  are  irri- 
gated meadows,  which  have  borne  grass  without  any  sign  of 
deterioration  within  the  memory  of  the  inhabitants,  or  the  knowl- 
edge of  readers  of  local  histories,  although  the  crop  has  been  cut 
and  removed  every  year  during  this  indefinite  period.  "Whether 
or  not  these  immense  crops  could  be  further  increased  by  more 
skillful  management  is  not  neccessary  to  inquire.  These  products 
are  so  far  beyond  the  dreams  of  an  American  farmer,  that  they 


112  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

may  be  well  considered  fabulous.  But  there  is  no  reason  to  doubt 
the  facts.  On  the  contrary,  they  should  be  used  as  a  stimulus 
for  us  to  adopt,  wherever  practicable,  the  methods  by  which  these 
crops  are  produced." 

The  methods  above  referred  to  are  those  of  surface  irrigation, 
which,  when  compared  with  those  of  subsurface  are,  in  results,  as 
fractions  to  units. 

We  have  as  before  stated,  grown  three  perfect  crops  of  timothy 
in  a  season  under  conditions  not  nearly  as  favorable  as  those  se- 
cured under  our  system  as  at  present  existing.  This  can  be  done 
not  only  by  the  farmers  of  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  Mary- 
land, the  Virginias  and  Carolinas,  but  in  New  York,  New  England 
and  the  more  northern  states  generally,  and  quite  as  well  in 
regions  still  farther  north,  where  snows  fall  deeply,  and  remain 
upon  the  ground  during  the  entire  winter.  These  are  facts,  and 
as  such  should  result  in  insuring  adoption  of  our  system  wherever 
American  thrift,  intelligence  and  enterprise  prompt  to  action. 

In  the  cultivation  of  the  vine,  there  opens  a  field  so  wide  as  to 
make  its  growth  a  source  of  wealth  not  easy  to  estimate.  Along 
mountains  and  hillsides,  where  grapes  are  grown,  there  is  almost 
invariably  found  pools  of  water,  deep  hidden  in  chambers  of  stone. 

From  these  the  waters  should  be  dropped,  below  the  frost  line, 
where,  warm  in  winter  and  cool  in  summer,  moving  from  trench 
to  trench,  the  health  of  the  vine,  hence  its  wealth  of  production,  is 
promoted.  Mr.  Stewart  opens  the  ninth  chapter  of  his  book  as 
follows: 

"  It  is  doubtful  whether  there  is  an  orchard  or  vineyard  in  the 
United  States,  except  in  California,  Utah  or  Colorado,  subjected  to 
systematic  irrigation.  At  the  same  time  it  is  doubtful  if  there  is 
any  country  in  the  world  in  which  irrigation  could  be  more  profit- 
ably applied  to  fruit  culture  than  here.  The  experience  of  orchard- 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  113 

ists  proves  that  drouth  is  accompanied  by  destructive  attacks  of 
insects.  How  far  these  depredations  might  be  prevented  by  irri- 
gation cannot  be  predicated,  but  it  is  beyond  doubt  that  the  vigor 
of  growth  that  would  result  from  a  sufficient  supply  of  moisture  to 
the  roots  would  greatly  mitigate  the  effects  of  these  attacks.  The 
apple  trees  which  never  have  an  off  year  are  those  grown  near 
bodies  of  water.  A  California  vineyardest  who  irrigated  his  vines, 
immediately  raised  his  product  to  eight  tons  of  grapes  per  acre, 
and  greatly  improved  the  quality.  The  newly  planted  orange 
groves  of  Florida  are  frequently  destroyed  by  drouth,  and  methods 
of  irrigation  are  eagerly  sought  to  render  their  culture  more  safe 
and  certain.  But  if  it  were  necessary  to  enforce  the  advantages  of 
the  irrigation  of  orchards,  abundant  evidence  could  be  gathered 
in  the  south  of  France,  Italy  and  other  countries  of  southern  Eu- 
rope, where  the  olive,  orange,  lime,  almond,  fig,  apple  and  other 
orchard  trees,  as  well  as  the  vineyards,  are  systematically  brought 
under  irrigation.  As  to  the  vine,  it  is  a  question,  so  far,  which  has 
not  been  thoroughly  investigated,  whether  or  not  irrigation  might 
be  made  the  means  of  vanquishing  the  destructive  phylloxera." 

Possibly  our  readers  may  weary  with  our  much  quoting  from  a 
single  author.  If  other  testimony  than  that  of  Mr.  Stewart  were 
required,  the  field  from  which  to  gather  is  a  wide  one,  but  Mr. 
Stewart  has  gleaned  facts  from  all  sources  and  we  find  in  his  book 
the  history  of  the  experience  of  individuals  and  peoples  covering 
many  centuries,  hence  the  invaluable  character  of  his  conclusions. 

Among  American  authors,  few,  if  any,  are  more  popular  than  E. 
P.  Roe,  who  writes  with  a  versatility  of  information  and  talent 
upon  almost  every  subject,  and  upon  none  with  greater  acceptance 
than  upon  those  of  agriculture  and  horticulture.  Before  us,  as  we 
write,  lies  an  elegant  volume  entitled  "  Success  with  Small  Fruits." 
This  is  an  expensive  work,  and  all  the  more  a  pity  since  a  book 


114  THE   NEW   AGltlCULTUKE. 

containing  so  much  of  knowledge  and  combining  so  many  attrac- 
tions, should  be  within  reach  of  all  classes.  Mr.  Roe's  book  is  one 
of  three  hundred  pages,  six  only  of  which  are  devoted  to  the  sub- 
ject of  irrigation,  and  brief  as  is  the  chapter  treating  of  it,  the 
author  makes  apology  for  devoting  even  so  much  space  to  consid- 
eration of  a  matter  ere  long  to  be  recognized  as  one  of  paramount 
importance.  At  the  opening  of  the  chapter  on  irrigation  he  says: 

"  This  is  a  topic  on  which  a  book  might  be  written." 

If  Mr.  Roe  will  look  into  our  system,  perhaps  he  will  be  in- 
clined to  write  another  book.  Sincerely  do  we  wish  he  would  do  so, 
since  there  is  a  recognized  charm  about  his  writings  making  the 
dullest  subject  one  of  interest. 

"  The  question,  as  we  shall  consider  it,"  says  Mr.  Roe,  "is  a  practical 
one.  In  California  and  other  sections,  the  land  must  be  irrigated; 
here,  and  where  the  rainfall  is  more  equally  distributed  through- 
out the  year,  we  can  water  if  we  find  the  practice  remunerative." 

Mr.  Roe  quotes  Mr.  W.  D.  Philbrick  as  saying: 

"  The  amount  of  water  required  will  depend  largely  on  the  rain- 
fall, velocity  of  the  wind,  atmospheric  humidity,  soil,  etc.  A  loose, 
sandy  soil  will  require  much  more  water  than  a  retentive  clay.  In 
general,  however,  it  may  be  assumed  that,  in  the  warm  growing 
months  of  May,  June,  July,  August  and  September,  most  vegeta- 
tion requires  an  inch  in  depth  over  the  entire  surface  of  the  land 
every  five  days.  This  is,  of  course,  only  an  average.  This  quan- 
tity, estimated  as  needed  by  our  gardens,  would  be  equivalent  to 
six  inches  per  month  of  rainfall.  If  we  compare  this  amount  with 
the  actual  rainfall,  we  shall  arrive  at  an  idea  of  what  is  to  be  sup. 
plied  artificially.  The  rainfall  at  Boston  for  the  past  six  years 
1873-1878,  for  the  five  growing  months  named,  varied  from  a  max- 
imum of  10|  inches  in  August,  1872,  to  a  minimum  of  0.65  inch,  in 
June,  1873.  During  these  six  years  there  was  not  a  single  season 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  115 

when  we  did  not  suffer  more  or  less  from  drought  during  some 
portion  of  the  summer.  Twenty-one  of  the  thirty  months  in  ques- 
tion had  less  rainfall  than  six  inches  per  month,  and  the  average 
of  these  twenty-one  months  was  about  3.02  inches  per  month,  or 
only  about  half  of  what  was  needed.  Some  of  the  protracted  sea- 
sons of  drought  were  almost  entirely  rainless  for  six  weeks,  during 
which  the  weather  was  excessively  hot  and  windy,  and  vegetation 
suffered  extremely  in  consequence." 

But  why  multiply  witnesses  touching  the  necessity  of  saving, 
instead  of  wasting  the  waters  ?  In  our  colder  climates  of  the 
North,  the  waters  of  rains,  dews  and  melting  snows  should  all  be 
halted,  housed,  husbanded  and  held  back  so  far  as  may  be,  getting 
all  possible  advantages  from  them.  As  we  write,  there  comes  to 
hand  a  letter  from  Hon.  John  Swinburne  of  Albany,  N.  Y.,  which 
will  find  its  place  on  the  pages  of  our  book,  alongside  of  another 
from  the  pen  of  Hon.  C.  R.  Early  of  Pennsylvania.  Both  these 
gentlemen  are  representative  men,  eminent  in  public,  private  and 
professional  life.  Both  agree  that  the  future  of  the  waters  is  the 
one  of  the  world.  The  one  would  gather  them  in,  purify  and  use 
them  to  make  an  end  of  fungus,  deadliest  enemy  of  vegetable  and 
animal  life  ;  the  other  shows  how  this  can  be  done,  and  vividly 
portrays  the  advantages  to  come  of  the  achievement. 

Let  no  reader  conclude  that,  from  the  frequent  mention  made 
along  these  pages  of  firm  subsoils,  that  these  are  the  only  ones 
where  our  system  will  apply.  It  can  be  applied  on  all  soils  to 
great  advantage.  Two  out  of  three  among  correspondents  writ- 
ing us  have  asked  whether  our  system  can  be  made  to  apply  to 
level  lands.  Our  answer  is,  it  will  apply  everywhere.  The  rela- 
tive advantages  of  its  application  are  those  of  economy,  and  the 
lands  to  which  it  is  most  readily  adapted  will  be  found  the  most 
profitable. 


116  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

Not  in  the  North,  where  demonstration  of  its  great  utility  has 
been  first  made,  is  it  to  perform  its  greatest  wonders,  but  in  the 
South,  the  land  of  cotton  and  corn,  will  be  seen  its  greatest 
triumphs.  Corn  as  a  crop  and  for  ensilage,  and  sorghum  and 
beets  for  sugar,  can  be  grown  to  an  extent  and  with  a  measure  of 
success  hitherto  unparalleled.  Orange  groves  can  be  doubled  and 
trebled  in  yield,  and  not  merely  the  English  grasses,  but  all  varie- 
ties of  fruits  can  be  grown  to  a  degree  of  perfection  hitherto  unat- 
tained.  And  then  too,  the  orchard. 

"Who  shall  estimate  the  wealth  to  come  to  North,  South,  East  and 
"West  from  a  system  causing  trees  to  grow,  though  planted  amid 
droughts  ?  Nor  only  so,  but  a  system  under  which  the  old  fruit 
tree  becomes  young  and  vigorous,  making  new  roots,  dropping  its 
scurvy  bark,  its  parasitic  mosses,  and  doubling,  trebling,  quadrup- 
ling, and  not  unfrequently  quintupling  its  yield  of  fruit. 

How  about  potatoes  ?  Let  us  answer  this  question  by  stating 
results  as  regards  a  single  row  planted  in  the  spring  of  1883.  We 
had  planted  on  lands  near  by  for  an  early  crop,  when  nearly  a 
fortnight  later  finding  space  for  a  row  immediately  below  one  of 
our  completed  trenches,  devoted  it  to  the  Early  Rose  variety.  The 
first  planted  potatoes  appeared  above  the  ground  five  or  six  days 
in  advance  of  this  test  row.  By  the  first  of  June,  the  latter  show- 
ed much  larger  and  finer  growth  of  vines  than  the  former,  and  the 
potatoes  of  both  matured  about  the  same  time,  the  25th  of  July. 
All  were  perfectly  ripe,  the  earliest  planted,  however,  were  dwarfed 
by  blight,  and  more  or  less  eaten  by  wire  worms,  their  average  size 
being  about  that  of  a  hen's  egg.  The  vines  of  our  test  row  lived 
their  full  life,  and  died  a  natural  death,  showing  a  crop  of  marvel- 
ous size,  beauty  and  perfection.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  not  a  single 
potatoe  was  found  rotted  in  our  test  row,  nor  was  there  the  mark 
of  the  •'  tooth"  of  a  wire  worm  found,  The  potatoes  averaged  the 


THE   NEW    AGRICULTURE.  117 

size  of  a  goose  egg,  and  a  few  specimens  were  as  fine  as  the  very 
finest  we  have  ever  seen.  The  yield  from  this  one  row  was  nearly 
or  quite  three  times  as  much  as  from  any  grown  that  season  on 
our  own  grounds  or  on  those  of  our  neighbors  of  equal  area.  In 
nearly  or  quite  every  hill  outside  of  the  test  row,  was  found  from 
one  to  three  or  four  rotten  potatoes,  and  these,  as  usual,  were  the 
largest  ones. 

"Why  this  very  great  difference  ?  nearly  or  quite  every  reader 
will  naturally  enquire.  Here  is  our  answer:  No  uncomposted 
manure  was  mixed  with  the  soil,  and  consequently  no  seeds  of 
fungus  were  sown.  On  lands  above  the  trench,  manures  were 
spread  between  rows  of  raspberries,  while  still  farther  up  our 
manures  had  been  corded  for  composting.  The  snows  of  winter 
and  rains  of  early  spring  had  sent  their  waters  in  flow  adown 
the  incline,  and  when  our  first  trench  was  reached,  these  were 
dropped  into  its  depths  and  the  trench  filling  and  overflowing, 
the  Avaters  passed  through  the  sponge  of  our  single  row,  feeding 
the  tubers  with  "  broth,  soup  or  porridge,"  and  hence  there  was 
perfection  in  growth  and  fruition.  This  accounts  for  the  fact,  at- 
tested by  Dr.  C.  E.  Earley,  in  his  chapter  on  fungi,  that  nowhere 
on  our  grounds  is  that  deadly  enemy  of  vegetable  and  animal 
life  to  be  found. 

Perhaps  the  point  has  not  yet  been  reached  to  propound  the 
question  ere  long  to  be  everywhere  asked:  Will  it  pay  to  drink 
water  and  grow  fruits  uncontaminated  with  stagnation  and  other 
sources  of  infection  and  contagion  V  In  other  words  will  it  pay  to 
grow  fruits  and  vegetables  to  sell,  which,  when  eaten  by  yourself  and 
family,  are  liable  to  engender  disease  and  produce  death,  when  by 
the  simplest  of  means,  through  adoption  of  methods  discovered  and 
fully  demonstrated,  those  of  far  greater  perfection  and  with  larger 
profits,  can  be  grown  free  from  infection,  and  perfect  in  all  ways. 


118  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

How  about  vineyards  ?  Can  more  grapes  be  grown  under  sys- 
tems of  subsurface  irrigation  than  by  ordinary  methods  in  coun- 
tries of  rainfall?  That  surface  irrigation  has  been  found  a  neces- 
sity in  arid  regions,  is  well  understood;  and  there  also,  have  the 
finest  grapes  of  the  world  been  grown.  Up  to  this  time,  however, 
no  vineyard,  so  far  as  we  are  aware,  has  been  planted  under 
circumstances,  and  cultivated  under  conditions  conforming  to  the 
utmost  developement  of  the  vine  and  product.  The  terrace  is 
constructed  and  when  the  rainfall  is  abundant  the  waters,  des- 
cending the  incline,  are  checked  in  degree  by  the  level  of  the  ter- 
race, but  when  this  becomes  dry  and  baked  the  water  of  brief 
showers  moves  off  in  rapid  flow,  and,  if  the  shower  is  a  hard  one, 
the  terraces  in  groups  come  little  short  of  presenting  an  ap- 
pearance of  successive  cascades.  In  rainless  regions,  where  pro- 
vision is  made  for  irrigation  by  mechanical  means,  and  in  those 
of  an  abundant  rainfall,  so  numerous  have  been  the  cases  of 
failure  to  realize  a  crop  as  to  have  had  a  discouraging  effect. 

In  no  regard  has  Mr.  Stewart's  book  more  profoundly  im- 
pressed us,  than  his  frank  confession  throughout  the  work  of 
the  impossibility  of  so  applying  water  to  the  surface,  as  to  in- 
sure profitable  results.  Nothing  could  be  more  convincing  of 
the  superiority  of  our  system  than  this  confession. 

After  devoting  a  large  amount  of  space  to  prove  that  winter 
irrigation  of  meadows  and  pastures  has  proven  not  only  suc- 
cessful but  profitable  in  climates  of  Southern  Europe,  and  de- 
monstrating the  fact  that  in  all  portions  of  our  own  country 
where  the  ground  freezes  only  to  the  depth  of  a  few  inches  or 
not  at  all,  irrigation  in  the  winter  months  would  have  wonder- 
ful effect  in  continuing  the  growth  of  grasses  at  their  roots, 
Mr.  Stewart  hands  over  to  the  hopeless  desolation  of  winter  the 
regions  in  which  dwell  millions  of  our  most  intelligent,  enterpris- 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  119 

ing  and  thrifty  people  by  saying  that  "in  the  Northern  States 
and  Canada,  winter  irrigation  is  impracticable." 

In  turn,  we  do  not  hesitate  to  declare,  that  if  a  series  of  trenches 
along  inclines  was  constructed  from  three  to  five  feet  deep,  at  any 
and  all  points  in  the  States  of  New  England,  New  York,  New  Jer- 
sey, Delaware,  Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  Michigan,  Illinois,  Iowa,  Wis- 
consin, Minnesota  and  throughout  the  Canadas,  Nova  Scotia  and 
New  Brunswick,  dropping  the  waters  of  autumn  rains  so  deeply 
down  as  to  hold  them  during  winter  at  spring  water  temperature, 
they  would  be  found  to  melt  the  snows  at  bottom  and  hold  the 
trenches  nearly  or  quite  full  of  pure  spring  water  during  every  day 
of  winter. 

In  no  particular  do  we  propose  to  leave  demonstration  incomplete. 
The  following  article  from  the  Chicago  Journal  tells  the  story : 

"  "When  the  hair  on  the  heads  of  the  young  and  rising  generation 
shall  have  been  whitened  with  age ;  when  their  descendants  of  the, 
second  generation  shall  be  toddling  around  their  great  arm-chairs 
or  begging  to  be  taken  on  their  knees  and  told  some  stories  of  the, 
to  them,  mysterious  past,  the  grandparents  will,  no  doubt,  on  many 
such  occasions  recall  the  winter  from  which  we  are  just  emerging' 
but  wrhich  has  clung  so  tenaciously  to  the  lap  of  spring,  and  which 
still  seems  so  unwilling  to  leave  us,  and  speak  of  it  as  the  terrible 
winter  of  1884-85,  when  the  thermometer  for  fully  one-third  of  the 
whole  season  remained  below  zero,  and  when,  during  the  entire 
months  of  January  and  February,  the  mercury  rose  to  the  freezing 
points  or  above  on  only  fifteen  occasions;  when  snow-storms  were 
of  almost  daily  occurrence,  and  when  the  regular  spring-time  of 
the  year  had  run  considerable  of  its  course  before  the  great  moun- 
tains of  snow,  which  had  almost  hidden  the  earth,  had  disappeared 
from  view.  It  can  not  even  now  be  gainsaid  that  the  past  winter 
was  a  pretty  tart  one.  Setting  in  as  it  did  about  the  middle  of  De- 


120  THE   NEW   AGKICULTURE. 

cember,  it  has  continued  with  the  full  force  of  its  rigor  till  the  end 
of  March,  and  its  whole  course  has  been  marked  with  the  fewness 
and  long  distance  apart  of  its  intervals  of  mildness.  Its  record  for 
severity  cannot  be  surpassed  by  that  of  many  seasons  in  the  pres- 
ent century. 

"  The  coldest  day  of  the  year,  taking  it  all  together,  was  Febru- 
ary 10,  when  the  thermometer  stood  at  16  degrees  below  zero  for 
almost  the  entire  twenty-four  hours,  though  at  other  times  it  sank 
for  a  short  time  as  low  as  30  degrees  below. 

"  Below  will  be  found  a  record  of  the  dates  on  which  the  ther- 
mometer was  below  zero  between  8  a.  m.  and  1  p.  m. : 

"December  17,  2  degrees;  18, 12;  19,  7.  January  2,4degrees;  13, 
5;  14,  10;  19,  17;  20,  8;  21,  6;  22,  16;  26,  7;  28,  15.  February  10, 
16  degrees;  11,  13;  12,  3;  13,  10;  15,  10;  16,  13;  17,  7;  18,  2;  19, 
1;  20,  9.  March  20,  2  degrees. 

"  The  dates  in  January  and  February  when  the  thermometer  rose 
above  freezing  were: 

"January  5,  6,  7,  8,  9,  10,  31,  and  February  2,  3,  4,  24,  25,  26,  27 
and  28." 

Unless  other  winters  of  greater  severity  remain  in  store  for  the 
present  and  future  generations,  we  have  no  hesitation  in  declaring 
that  our  system  is  good  for  irrigation  from  December  to  April  of 
any  year  likely  to  come  while  there  remains  alive  a  single  child 
now  born,  and  we  believe  at  any  parallel  of  latitude  between  Mason 
and  Dixon's  lines,  and  Hudson's  Bay.  Certain  is  it,  that  Southern 
Alaska  can  safely  count  on  having  been  released  from  subjection 
to  the  dominions  of  the  Frost  King,  since  it  has  been  discovered 
that  this  hitherto  little  understood  portion  of  our  country  possesses 
a  climate  producing  crops  vastly  superior  to  those  of  the  more 
northerly  countries  of  Europe  and  Asia,  and  that  grasses  can  be 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  121 

made  to  greenly  grow  all  winter  beneath  the  snows  of  this  most 
inhospitable  of  our  territorial  possessions. 

The  article  quoted  from  the  Chicago  Journal,  will,  we  are  sure, 
convince  every  reader  that  the  past  one  has  been  a  winter  through- 
out the  North  and  East,  justifying  us  in  saying  that  so  far  as  Alle- 
gany  County,  N.  Y.  goes,  that  farmers  using  our  system  may  defy 
the  Frost  King. 

It  is  three  years  since  the  Hon,  Warner  Miller,  so  ably  and  emi- 
nently representing  New  York  in  the  United  States  Senate,  re- 
marked : 

"  If  you  can  realize  the  results  claimed  under  your  system,  Mr. 
Cole,  and  I  incline  to  believe  it,  then  our  State  is  capable  of  main- 
taining a  population  within  its  limits  of  an  hundred  millions,  sup- 
ported in  comfort,  from  agriculture  and  horticulture  alone," 

If  this  is  possible  in  the  State  of  New  York,  we  ask  our  readers 
to  read  the  following  copied  from  The  Norlhivest,  of  March,  1884, 
and  estimate  what  our  system  would  do  when  applied  to  the  most 
inhospitable,  and  hitherto  deemed,  from  an  agricultural  point  of 
view,  hopeless  region  embraced  within  the  boundaries  of  the  Ame- 
rican Union  : 

"  Alaska  is  a  broad  peninsula  situated  at  the  northwestern  ex- 
tremity of  the  continent,  washed  on  the  south  by  the  mild  waters 
of  the  Pacific  and  on  the  north  by  those  of  the  frozen  Arctic. 
Upon  its  frozen  and  deeply  indented  shore  line,  towering  and  rug- 
ged headlands  enclose  quiet  and  picturesque  coves  and  harbors, 
within  many  of  which  the  united  naval  fleets  of  the  world  might 
float,  secure  from  the  storm-tossed  billows  of  the  encompassing 
oceans.  Extending  back  from  its  coast  is  a  broad  zone  of  fertile 
lands,  characterized  by  wide-reaching  plateaus  and  magnificent 
valleys,  richly  clothed  with  native  grasses,  and  watered  by  deep- 
flowing,  majestic  rivers. 


122  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

"  Within  its  interior  the  Rocky  Mountains  attain  their  greatest 
altitude  north  of  Colorado,  Mt.  St.  Elias,  near  its  southern  boun- 
dary, towering  to  the  height  of  17,000  feet.  The  mountain  regions 
are  distinguished  by  immense  forests  of  pine,  fir,  cedar  and  hem- 
lock, sometimes  extending  in  an  unbroken  growth  for  many  miles 
upon  the  lower  portions  of  the  range,  and  broad  low-lying  basins, 
(ancient  lake  beds),  shadowed  by  naked,  rocky  cones  and  snow- 
clad  peaks.  The  climate  of  Alaska  is  not  so  intemperate  as  its 
northerly  situation  would  indicate,  the  Kurho-Siva  or  Japanese 
current,  an  ocean  stratum  of  heated  waters,  flowing  from  the  South 
Pacific,  exerting  upon  it  a  climatic  influence,  analogous  to  that  of 
the  Gulf  Stream  upon  the  British  Isles.  Moist,  warm  winds  blow 
across  the  Alaskan  sea-coast  regions,  and  the  Aleutian  Islands, 
situated  near,  in  the  Behring  Strait,  lending  to  them  a  delightful 
summer  climate,  and  rendering  them  fruitful  in  the  extreme.  The 
fiftieth  isothermal,  which  leaves  the  eastern  coast  of  Asia  near 
Pekin,  strikes  the  continent  of  North  America  near  the  50th  paral- 
lel of  north  latitude,  then  trending  rapidly  to  the  south,  passes 
near  the  region  of  the  great  lakes,  and  leaves  the  eastern  coast  of 
the  continent,  near  the  city  of  New  York, 

"  Thus  we  find  the  climate  of  the  lower  regions  of  Alaska  very 
similar  to  that  of  Wisconsin,  Michigan,  and  the  New  England 
States.  The  records  of  the  Signal  Office  established  at  Sitka  for 
five  years,  show  the  mean  temperature  of  the  year  to  be  the  same 
in  Alaska  as  in  Minnesota  and  Wisconsin,  and  the  productive 
power  of  the  soil  is  certainly  equal  to  that  of  any  portion  of  the 
northeastern  part  of  the  United  States." 

That  this  is  no  picture  of  fancy,  we  have  occasion  to  know  as  a 
few  hours  further  sail  of  the  steamer  which,  a  year  ago,  bore  us 
to  Victoria  the  capital  of  British  Columbia,  situated  on  Van 
Couver's  Island  and  Ivinpf  in  the  same  latitude  as  northern  New 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  123 

Foundland,  would  have  borne  us  into  Alaskan  waters.  Here  at 
Victoria  fruit  trees  had  dropped  their  blossoms,  and  apples,  pears, 
plums  and  other  fruits  were  developing.  No  spot  of  earth  was  green- 
er nor  one  blander  and  more  summer  like  in  atmosphere.  Keep- 
ing no  diary,  as  nearly  as  we  can  fix  the  date  from  memory,  we  left 
Victoria  the  last  of  April,  and  reaching  our  Allegany  County  home 
on  the  sixth  of  May,  found  our  family  and  neighbors  just  begin- 
ning work  in  their  gardens.  While  our  own  little  plat  was  a  fort- 
night ahead,  even  this  was  fully  three  weeks  behind  what  we  had 
found  the  gardens  of  Victoria  to  be  ten  days  before.  The  calcula- 
tion is  therefore  a  safe  one,  that  the  average  March  of  Victoria 
is  the  May  of  Allegany,  and  that  the  springs  of  Southern  Alaska 
average  as  early  as  those  of  Western  New  York. 

On  the  13th  day  of  April,  within  a  week  after  the  departure  of 
the  snows,  the  soil  of  our  garden  being  soft  and  porous,  its  surface 
having  been  wanned  by  the  sun,  we  began  garden  making  by  put- 
ting in  peas,  onions,  lettuce,  beets,  etc.  Though  all  around  and 
about,  the  earth  was  frozen  to  the  depth  of  from  two  to  four  feet 
upon  that  portion  fitted  under  our  system  not  a  particle  of  frost 
was  discernable.  Having  begun  garden  making  on  the  13th  of 
April,  a  week  later  visiting  New  York  and  casting  our  eye  out  of 
the  car  window  going  and  coming,  in  no  spot  did  we  see  the  com- 
mencement of  seeding.  In  fact,  we  were  assured  by  Alfred  Hen- 
derson, son  of  Mr.  Peter  Henderson,  seedsman,  of  New  York  City, 
that  work  in  the  open  grounds  of  New  Jersej*  had  not  begun,  and 
that  in  shaded  spots  all  over  the  northern  portions  of  that  State, 
frost  remained  in  the  ground. 

Such,  nevertheless,  was  the  condition  of  the  soil  in  our  garden 
at  the  period  of  first  seeding,  that  germination  immediately  fol- 
lowed, and  our  peas,  sowed  on  the  13th,  were  out  of  the  ground  on 
the  morning  of  April  28th  ;  onions  were  sprouted,  and  other  seed- 


124  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

ing  had  resulted  in  germination.  Our  rhubarb,  or  pie  plant  which 
had  shot  up  into  the  snows  before  their  departure  was  large  enough 
for  use,  and  the  promise,  made  to  the  Jerseymen  present  on  the 
occasion  of  our  address  before  the  Farmers'  Club  of  the  American 
Institute  had  been  made  good,  the  present  season  finding  us  ahead 
of  New  Jersey  in  planting  our  garden.  When  we  say  that  Alle- 
gany  County,  N.  Y.,  is  usually  a  fortnight,  and  not  infrequently 
three  weeks  behind  New  Jersey  in  the  opening  of  the  spring,  it 
will  not  be  questioned  that  water  in  trenches  at  spring  water  tem- 
perature produces  wonderful  results.  That  the  producing  season 
will  be  lengthened  from  forty  to  sixty  days  on  lands  fitted  under 
our  system,  may  be  therefore  set  down  as  a  fact. 

The  virtues  of  "  The  New  Agriculture,"  was  most  severely  tested 
on  the  morning  of  April  28th.  The  wind  was  in  the  southeast, 
and  the  mercury  at  10  A.  M.,  stood  at  50°  above  zero,  and 
reached  65°  at  noon;  the  day  was  one  of  spring  balm.  It  began 
raining  about  3  P.  M.,  the  wind  south,  and  the  shower  was  one 
more  of  May  than  April.  Shifting  suddenly  into  the  north, 
Boreas  put  on  the  lion  in  earnest  and  a  violent  snow  storm  en- 
sued. The  night  was  one  of  severe  coldness  and  when  we  awoke 
at  4  A.  M.  on  the  29th,  we  made  up  our  mind  that  if  there  was 
virtue  in  cold  water,  this  was  the  time  to  test  it.  Repairing  to 
our  garden,  the  frigid  condition  of  the  ground  all  around,  out- 
side of  our  two  acres,  was  about  as  hopeless  as  in  dead  of  win- 
ter. Beneath  our  feet,  however,  the  soil  yielded,  and  upon  mak- 
ing examination  we  found  no  frost.  The  "noses"  of  our  peas, 
sticking  out  of  the  ground,  had  a  look  much  more  nearly  blue 
than  green.  Only  the  day  before,  meeting  friends  in  Elmira, 
we  had  boasted  of  our  pie  plant,  challenging  comparison  with 
any  grown  in  open  grounds  either  in  New  York  or  New  Jersey. 
These,  however,  to  our  discomfiture,  next  morning  were  found 


STRAWBERRY    BOUQUET. 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  125 

frozen  to  the  consistency  of  an  icicle,  breaking  like  glass  on 
bending.  Observing  however  that  the  ground  was  not  frozen,  we 
concluded  that  the  root  was  not  killed,  and,  by  way  of  experiment, 
we  subjected  the  frozen  stalks  and  leaves  to  a  cold  bath.  Repair- 
ing to  a  pile  of  forest  leaves,  we  bore  several  bushels  to  our  plants, 
and  covering  them  deeply,  poured  upon  each  hill,  four  pails  of 
water,  drawn  from  the  hydrant  near  by.  The  saturation  was  com- 
plete. The  sun  rose  coldly,  and  shone  out  in  a  frigid  way  all  day, 
and  yet,  had  we  not  protected  them  by  the  wetted  leaves  from  the 
effects  of  its  rays,  there  would  probably  have  been  an  end  of  pies  for 
a  fortnight  thereafter.  Once  or  twice  during  the  day,  we  ventured 
to  take  a  look  at  our  frozen  plants,  and  each  time  had  more  and 
more  hope  of  saving  them.  Removing  the  leaves  on  the  30th,  we 
found  our  pie  plant  uninjured.  Precisely  one  year  before,  we  ate 
rhubarb  pie  at  a  hotel  in  Victoria,  British  Columbia,  grown  in  the 
open  ground,  beneath  the  balmy  breezes  of  the  Japan  current.  A 
little  upwards  of  a  week  later  we  reached  our  Allegany  home,  but 
ate  no  rhubarb  pie  till  after  the  middle  of  May. 

Our  five  hills  of  rhubarb  or  pie  plant  were  four  years  ago  (1881) 
transplanted,  and  in  resetting,  were  planted  along  the  line  of  one 
of  our  leads  or  overflow  trenches.  Not  till  last  fall,  however,  were 
they  so  connected  with  the  reservoirs,  as  to  keep  a  steady 
stream  of  water  running  beneath  them,  and  since  September  last, 
the  flow  has  not  ceased.  And  so  it  was,  that  on  the  departure  of 
the  snows  about  April  10th,  our  pie  plant  had  shot  up  into  its 
snowy  covering,  getting  the  start  of  any  in  our  State  by  a  week  or 
or  ten  days.  It  is  not  only  in  this,  but  in  numberless  other  ways 
we  have  demonstrated  the  fact  that  a  stream  of  spring  water  run- 
ning beneath  will  give  inspiration  to  the  growth  of  plants  in  win- 
ter It  is  in  this  regard  that  our  system  differs,  and  in  fact  is 
distinct  from  all  methods  hitherto  proposed  and  in  some  instances 


120  THE   NEW   AGEICULTUKE. 

put  in  operation  through  means  of  perforated  tile,  begetting  what 
has  been  denominated  sub-irrigation. 

Tile  has  been  laid  to  considerable 'extent  in  California,  Nevada, 
Colorado  and  New  Mexico,  and  the  resulting  irrigation  has  been 
found  phenomenally  successful,  leaving  that  of  the  surface  meth- 
ods completely  in  the  shade.  There  has  been  a  patent  allowed  on 
the  tile,  but  not  upon  the  system,  yet  the  ordinary  drain  tile  an- 
swers every  purpose,  leaking  sufficiently  at  joints  to  diffuse  the 
waters.  To  lay  a  network  of  this  tiling  at  sufficient  depth  to 
escape  the  effects  of  frost  in  winter,  more  especially  in  regions 
where  the  freezing  reaches  a  depth  of  several  feet  would  be  a  most 
expensive  and  unpromising  undertaking  at  best,  and  when  to  the 
great  expense  of  this  mode  of  preparing  lands  to  receive  the 
water,  is  added  that  of  making  provision  for  water  supply  depend- 
ent upon  springs,  streams,  artesian  wells,  windmills,  current  wheels, 
and  the  thousand  and  one  other  devices  necessary  to  such  a  system, 
not  one  man  in  a  thousand  can  be  found  to  give  the  thing  a 
moment's  attention  especially  if  he  farms  in  rainfall  sections. 
We  desire  here  to  give  the  wonderful  history  of  the  old  apple  tree 
that  stood  and  now  stands  renewed  in  life  upon  our  hillside.  This 
tree,  the  only  fruit  bearing  one  on  our  original  plot,  was  up- 
wards of  thirty  years  old,  and  before  trenching  began  was 
so  unthrifty,  covered  with  moss  and  in  all  ways  so  unpromis- 
ing as  to  incline  us  to  cut  it  down  as  a  cumberer  of  the  ground. 
Nor  was  the  tree  alone  undesirable.  The  fruit,  a  golden  russet, 
grew  no  larger  than  what  is  known  as  the  lady  apple,  nor  nearly 
as  large  as  we  have  for  the  last  two  years  grown  strawberries  in 
certain  instances.  The  fruit  was  so  tough  as  to  be  left  in  the  cel- 
lar until  all  other  apples  were  gone,  and  not  unfrequently  thrown 
away  in  the  end.  Not  to  exceed  a  bushel  and  a  half  had  been 
gathered  from  the  tree  in  any  one  season  previous  to  1883.  In  the 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  127 

month  of  October,  1882,  a  deep  and  model  trench  was  sunk  imme- 
diately above  this  June  russet  apple  tree.  The  spring  succeeding, 
the  wealth  of  blossoms  on  this  tree  was  surprising.  The  blossoms 
were  of  a  size  attracting  attention  of  even  the  children,  being 
nearly  twice  the  size  of  the  ordinary  apple  blossom.  The  fruit 
developed  rapidly,  and  by  the  first  of  August  the  apples  had 
reached  a  growth  larger  than  at  any  time  before  when  the  fruit 
was  harvested.  Such  was  the  weight  of  the  fruit  as  to  necessitate 
the  propping  of  nearly  every  limb.  When  the  apples  ripened,  com- 
plete transformation  was  discovered.  Little,  if  any  russet  coating 
was  to  be  seen,  the  fruit  having  dropped  its  color  and  coating,  and 
some  of  the  better  specimens  would  have  passed  for  greenings. 

When  Mr.  J.  F.  Langworthy  visited  us,  we  presented  him  with 
specimens  of  plums  of  the  size  of  an  ordinary  hen's  egg,  picked  in 
his  presence  from  a  tree  which,  before  our  system  was  adopted,  had 
never  given  them  larger  than  a  small  pullet's  egg.  Specimens  of 
these  plums  were  also  sent  the  same  year,  (1883),  to  Hon.  R.  E. 
Fenton,  ex-Governor  of  our  State,  and  exhibited  in  New  York  to 
Hon  H.  J.  Jewett,  President  of  the  N.  Y.  Lake  Erie  and  Western 
Kailroad  Company,  and  to  Alfred  Henderson,  son  of  Mr.  Peter 
Henderson,  and  were  pronounced  by  all  to  be  the  finest  specimens 
they  had  ever  seen. 

While  Deacon  B.  F.  Langworthy  was  looking  over  our  grounds, 
we  plucked  heads  of  timothy  of  second  cutting,  eight  inches  in 
length,  fully  seeded,  and  subsequently  cut  others,  a  third  crop  avera- 
ging six  inches.  As  near  as  we  can  now  recollect,  the  first  of  these 
cuttings  was  about  the  middle  of  June,  the  second  the  last  of  July, 
and  the  third  about  the  middle  of  September.  In  the  first  cutting 
the  heads  averaged  nine  inches,  and  in  some  instances  reached  ten, 
and  in  one,  at  least,  eleven  inches  in  length  and  of  most  surprising 
weight.  Specimens  of  the  Kittatinny  blackberry  were  also  pre- 


128  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

sented  to  Deacon  Laiigworthy  of  such  marvellous  size  and  beauty, 
as  to  excite  wonder.  We  also  showed  Mr.  Langworthy  four  rows  of 
the  Philadelphia  red  raspberry,  in  which  the  bushes  were  so  heavily 
laden  as  to  make  it  impossible  to  stake  them  sufficiently  to  prevent 
the  bushes  from  being  prostrated  by  the  wind.  As  near  as  we 
could  calculate,  the  yield  would  have  equalled  five  hundred  bush- 
els to  the  acre.  This,  however,  is  mere  guess  work,  since  to  pick 
the  berries  as  fast  as  they  ripened  was  impossible,  and  more  than 
half  of  the  crop  perished. 

That  hillside  lands  having  clay  or  hard-pan  subsoils  valued  at 
fifty  dollars  per  acre,  and  scarcely  paying  at  that,  will  have  their 
soils  deepened  and  rendered  correspondingly  productive,  and  at 
an  expense  not  exceeding  fifty  dollars  per  acre  in  trenching,  be- 
come permanently  improved,  paying  splendidly  on  from  two  to 
five  hundred  dollars  per  acre,  we  have  no  doubt.  Although  differ- 
ent views  may  exist  as  to  the  increase  in  value  of  farm  lands  by 
adoption  of  our  system,  when  it  comes  to  the  matter  of  gardening 
and  fruit  farming,  our  own  expeiience  is  conclusive. 

It  has  only  been  four  years  since  the  first  stroke  of  work  was 
done  on  our  model  five  acres.  We  have  now  about  a  quarter  of  an 
acre  of  strawberries,  plants  three  years  old  in  August  of  the  pres- 
ent year  (1885);  not  far  from  an  eighth  of  an  acre  two  years  old; 
another  eighth,  eighteen  months  old,  and  a  quarter  of  an  acre  will 
be  a  year  old  the  last  of  September,  1885.  Our  first  quarter  of  an 
acre,  three  years  old  the  present  season,  will  be  found  only  good 
for  the  half  of  a  full  crop,  from  the  fact  of  having  imperfectly  done 
our  work  at  the  beginning.  Our  currants,  raspberries  and  black- 
berries are  just  fairly  coming  into  bearing,  also  our  quince,  pear 
and  plum  trees.  When  all  are  in  full  bearing,  (which  we  cannot 
count  upon  short  of  five  years  yet),  to  put  the  income  from  our  five 
acres  at  five  hundred  dollars  and  upward  per  acre  is  perfectly  safe, 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.      "  129 

marketing  what  fresh  fruits  and  vegetables  we  can  at  or  near 
home,  and  evaporating  and  preserving  the  remainder.  It  is 
equally  as  safe  to  calculate  that,  were  a  like  five  acres  situated 
near  any  of  our  great  northern  cities,  the  profits  would  be  corres- 
pondingly increased.  It  is  110  uncommon  thing,  as  we  note  by  the 
newspapers,  for  strawberries  to  sell  in  the  New  York  markets  dur- 
ing the  holidays,  which  can  be  done  under  our  hot  water  system, 
for  several  dollars  per  quart.  One  acre  of  strawberries,  at  the  rate 
we  have  grown  them,  would  bring  a  sum  we  leave  to  our  readers, 
to  calculate. 

Before  us  lies  a  letter  received  some  time  since  from  Mr.  F.  Gr. 
Jones,  of  Keuka,  Putnam  County,  Florida,  who  writes : 

"  If  there  could  be  found  out  a  way  to  retain  the  water  here  for 
future  use  to  all  plants,  Florida  would  become  one  of  the  richest 
fruit  growing  states  in  the  Union.  We  have  a  rain  nearly  every 
day  all  summer,  but  it  sinks  below  the  surface  almost  immediately, 
and  as  the  soil  is  sandy  will  not  retain  moisture  like  northern  soils. 
I  want  to  set  some  strawberries  this  fall.  They  do  well  here,  and 
are  gathered  from  January  to  July,  and  bring  from  twenty-five 
cents  to  one  dollar  and  twenty -five  per  quart." 

From  all  portions  of  the  South  as  well  as  from  States  like  New 
Jersey,  Delaware,  Maryland,  Missouri,  and  notably  from  states  and 
territories  embraced  in  what  has  been  denominated  the  Great 
American  desert,  letters  have  been  coming  for  months,  asking  all 
sorts  of  questions  touching  our  system.  The  burden  of  these  is 
always  the  same,  "  the  droughts,  the  droughts,  how  shall  we  escape 
the  droughts."  But  for  the  ordinary  farmer,  one  who  is  cultivat- 
ing from  fifty  to  an  hundred,  and  thus  on  to  thousands  of  acres, 
the  question  again  is,  will  it  pay  ?  To  this  we  answer,  if  any  far- 
mer doubts  it,  let  him  make  experiment  on  a  single  acre  of  meadow 
land.  Let  him  try  an  acre  of  potatoes,  beans,  peas  or  corn  on 


130  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

trenched  lands,  and  compare  results,  year  in  and  year  out,  and  if 
it  is  not  found  to  pay  immeasurably  better  than  any  farming  he 
has  ever  done,  our  five  acres  are  growing  lies. 

Not  a  day  passes  but  there  comes  to  our  place  the  farmer,  the 
fruit  grower,  the  gardener,  the  greenhouse  man,  each  in  turn  look- 
ing over  our  grounds,  and  are  filled  with  amazement  at  results,  and 
yet  they  still  ask,  will  it  pay  ?  All  agree  that  it  will  pay  us  to  ex- 
pend five  hundred  dollars  in  fitting  an  acre  to  perfection,  and  yet 
question  whether  it  will  pay  other  people,  costing  no  more  than 
from  fifty  to  an  hundred  dollars  an  acre  according  to  conditions  of 
soil  and  original  lay  of  the  land.  We  went  to  work  four  years  ago 
on  one  of  the  most  unpromising  spots  possible  to  imagine,  and  did 
next  to  nothing  with  the  team,  plow,  scraper,  or  anything  else  in- 
deed but  the  pick,  spade,  hoe,  potatoe  digger  and  rake;  our  hard 
clay  and  gravelly  hillside  abounded  in  stone,  with  little  of  surface 
soil,  and  we  were  at  an  expense  twice  as  great  as  that  to  which  the 
horticulturist  would  be  ordinarily  subjected. 

"When  it  comes  to  agriculture,  the  same  amount  of  work  could 
be  done  in  most  instances  at  from  a  third  to  a  fifth  of  the  cost,  fit- 
ting lands  in  a  way  to  grow  two,  and  probably  three  perfect  crops 
of  grass  of  from  three  to  four  tons  each  annually  to  the  acre,  from 
five  hundred  to  a  thousand  bushels  of  potatoes;  from  an  hundred 
to  an  hundred  and  twenty-five  bushels  of  oats;  an  hundred  bushels 
of  shelled  corn  on  an  average,  and  other  crops  in  proportion. 

A  perpetual  green  of  grasses  can  be  realized  in  regions  of 
the  North  where  snows  fall  deeply,  and  lie  on  the  ground  during 
the  winter,  since  the  water  in  the  trenches  constructed  under 
our  system  are  dropped  beneath  the  frost  line,  and  such  is 
their  effect  upon  soils,  as  to  prevent  freezing,  and  the  hardier 
varieties  of  plants  are  made  to  grow  greenly  beneath  the  snows. 
Thie  regions  in  which  this  can  be  most  economically,  readily  and 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  131 

perfectly  done,  are  those  of  hills,  valleys  and  undulations  having 
firm  clay  or  hardpan  subsoils,  where  an  abundance  of  stone, 
round  flat  and  fine,  are  found  in  the  soil.  This  class  of  lands  are, 
in  fact,  the  most  valuable  for  purposes  of  agriculture  and  horti- 
culture in  the  world.  Upon  and  along  them,  will,  within  a  few 
years,  be  found  the  loveliest  houses,  the  richest  peoples,  the  finest 
farms,  and  gardens,  and  in  their  neighborhood  and  vicinity,  the 
grandest  cities  of  the  world. 

"We  have  found  no  difficulty  in  convincing  every  man  who  has 
examined  our  methods  of  gathering  in  and  flowing  on  and  out  of  the 
waters,  that  these  can  be  controlled  in  subsurface  flow,  yet  there 
are  few  who  have  yet  realized  the  fact,  that,  when  there  is  a  general 
adoption  of  our  system  the  springs  of  the  primeval  forest  are  to 
not  only  reappear,  but  that  hundreds  and  thousands  of  others  will 
develope,  forming  rivulets  and  rivers,  growing  lakes,  the  latter  alive 
with  tr6ut  and  other  varieties  of  fish,  presenting  a  scene  akin  to 
transformation  of  the  earth's  surface. 

Fearing  that  we  might  occasionally  mislead  people  to  adopt  our 
system  if  we  published  estimates  based  on  the  actual  cost  of 
trenching  to  us,  we  have  counted  as  an  investment  all  moneys  ex- 
pended, not  merely  for  fitting  of  lands,  but  for  manuring,  making, 
harvesting  and  marketing  products,  as  well  for  plants  and  trees 
set  upon  our  grounds.  Three  acres  of  our  plot,  or  thereabout,  are 
being  prepared  for  strawberries.  On  this  portion  all  stone,  big 
and  little  are  taken  out  and  placed  in  trenches.  To  do  this,  as  it 
appears  to  us,  pays  better  than  to  leave  the  work  imperfectly  done. 
Few  people,  perhaps,  will  be  found  to  agree  with  UH,  however  fav- 
orably lands  to  be  fitted  may  be  located  in  proximity  to  profitable 
markets. 

We  note  that  the  question  has  been  asked : 


132  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

Do  our  trenches  ensure  this  marvellous  growth  and  perfection 
of  fruitage,  or  is  it  not  rather  the  fifteen  inches  of  fine  tilth  upon  a 
hard  pan  subsoil  which  we  have  formed,  that  holds  the  rainfall 
producing  the  extraordinary  results  as  exhibited  on  our  hillside? 

That  fifteen  inches  of  fine  tilth  will  produce  a  marvel  of  growth 
we  well  know,  for  years  ago  we  tried  the  experiment  by  dipping  as 
deep  down  as  possible  with  spade  and  fork,  securing  fifteen,  pos- 
sibly twenty  inches  of  fine  tilth,  growing  the  Triomphe  de  Gaud 
strawberry  and  other  fruits  to  marvellous  size,  beauty  and  perfec- 
tion. It  cost  us  more  to  secure  that  fifteen  or  twenty  inches  of 
fine  tilth  on  one-sixteenth  of  an  acre,  than  it  is  now  costing  to  secure 
an  equally  productive  one  five  feet  deep  on  &full  acre  by  trenching. 

A  few  weeks  since,  among  invitations  received,  asking  us  to  dis- 
course on  systems  of  irrigation  and  drainage  came  one  from  Mr. 
Newel  Cheney,  Secretary  of  the  Western  New  York  Agricultural 
and  Horticultural  Association,  for  an  address  at  Cuba,  Allegany 
County,  during  the  annual  meeting  of  said  association  on  the  llth 
and  12th  of  June.  Coupled  with  this  invitation  came  also  a  pamph- 
let containing  report  of  proceedings  and  addresses  at  last  year's 
annual  meeting  of  the  association  held  at  Randolph,  Cattaraugus 
County,  March  13th,  and  14th,  1884.  Among  addresses  on  that 
occasion  none  was  read  with  greater  relish  than  that  by  Prof  J.  T. 
Edwards,  D.  D.,  of  Randolph,  N.  T.,  on  the  Conewango  Valley, 
which  consists  of  a  dead  level  of  "  about  forty  thousand  acres  of 
oozy,  unproductive  swamp  lands."  In  the  opening  of  his  addressj 
Professor  Edwards  asks  how  these  swamps  can  be  converted  into 
beautiful  farms,  waving  with  timothy  and  clover.  From  first  to 
last,  the  Doctor  gives  us  a  compend  of  good  things.  That  Doctor 
Edwards  gave  becoming  directions  as  regarded  straightening  the 
bed  of  the  creek,  and  so  deepening  it  at  one  point  as  to  set  the 
waters  in  rapid  flow  along  the  valley  beyond,  is  evident.  So  far  as 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.     \  133 

the  Doctor  goes,  he  makes  no  mistake,  but  stops  short  at  the  very 
spot  where  he  should  have  gone  ahead.  Pointing  to  Europe,  he 
says  : 

"  Holland,  for  instance,  is  one  of  the  most  prosperous  countries 
in  the  world,  a  land  where  banks  never  fail,  where  pauperism  is 
unknown,  and  bankruptcy  unheard  of.  It  is  held  against  the 
hourly  protest  of  the  sea.  The  houses  rest  upon  piles  driven  into 
the  soft  earth,  yet  its  drainage  is  so  perfect,  that  its  productive- 
ness is  wonderful.  The  dykes  cost  more  than  sixty  millions  of 
dollars.  It  is  the  best  example  of  plucky  farming  on  the  planet." 

To  cover  the  case  the  Doctor  should  have  added  that,  Hollanders 
have  found  out  the  way  and  put  it  in  practice,  how  to  drain  and 
irrigate,  irrigate  and  drain,  not  starving  by  fits  and  stuffing  by 
starts,  but  feeding  and  watering  the  vegetable  kingdom,  always 
abundantly  and  never  in  surfeit,  never  attempting  to  grow  crops 
in  the  way  some  people  do  pigs,  with  a  streak  of  fat  and  a  streak 
of  lean,  but  so  arranging  their  dykes  and  ditches  as  to  keep  the 
waters  always  moving  through  their  soils. 

Let  us  suggest  that  should  the  State  of  New  York  continue  in 
its  determination  not  to  extend  aid  to  undertakings  such  as  re- 
claiming the  swamp  lauds  of  the  Conewango  Valley,  and  a  stock 
company  will  organize  and  purchase  the  entire  forty  thousand 
acres  and  do  precisely  what  Doctor  Edwards  proposes,  not  stop- 
ping there,  but  sinking  trenches  and  cross  drains  for  overflow  in  a 
way  to  do  what  the  Hollanders  have  done,  and  though  it  were  to 
become  necessary  to  manufacture  tile,  conforming  them  to  the 
work  in  hand,  thirty  dollars  an  acre  at  least  can  he  made,  or  in  the 
aggregate,  one  million,  two  hundred  thousand  dollars. 

The  Doctor  tells  us  that  three  kinds  of  land  are  found  in  the 
swamps,  one  composed  of  deep  muck,  another  of  fine  silt  reaching 
an  unknown  depth,  and  a  third  composed  of  a  mixture  of  the  two. 


134  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

There  are  probably  very  few  stones,  if  any,  found  in  the  soil,  and 
recourse  to  tile  would  become  necessary.  The  rains,  dews  and 
waters  coming  of  melting  snows  should  be  dropped  at  the  least 
four  feet  deep,  with  overflow  drains  or  tile  and  cappings  about 
eighteen  inches  beneath  the  surface.  Such  perforation  of  the  tile 
should  be  made  as  to  most  evenly  and  generally  diffuse  the  waters, 
and  if  all  is  done  in  a  common  sense  way,  so  pure  will  these  be 
found,  so  uniform  the  temperature,  that  dwellers  in  the  Cone- 
wango  Valley  will  every  year  see  a  green  Christmas,  and  instead  of 
growing  frogs,  toads,  lizards  and  the  like,  will  be  able  to  bring 
out  lakes  crystal  clear  all  along  the  track  of  their  waters,  alive 
with  bass,  perch  and  pickerel,  and  not  unlikely  the  mountain  trout 
of  California,  or  possibly  those  of  the  brooks  of  Allegany,  Catter- 
augus  and  Chautauqua,  of  an  half  century  ago. 


CHAPTER  V. 


THE  INFLUENCE  OF  THE  NEW  AGBICULTURE  UPON  THE  HEALTH  OF  MAN  AND 

DOMESTIC  ANIMALS COMMUNICATION  FROM  THE  HON.  JOHN  SWINBURNE 

THE  BANE  OF  FUNGUS,  BY  PROF.  C.  R.  FARLEY. 


It  is  the  last  of  Jane  (1885)  and  all  over  the  country  come  reports 
of  drought,  nor  any  wonder.  The  tile  manufacturers  and  their 
patrons  must  by  some  means  find  out  that  this  hurrying  off  and 
drying  up  of  the  waters,  is  a  most  serious  matter,  and  one  which, 
persevered  in,  will  result  in  disasters  greater,  first  or  last,  than 
has  been  as  yet  realized  in  any  civilized  land.  New  York  City, 
with  her  vast  population  is  fearful  of  an  impending  water  famine. 
Doctors  Edson  and  Taylor  recommend  the  purchase  of  a  tract  of 
land  half  a  mile  wide  on  each  bank  of  the  Croton  River  to 
provide  against  contamination  of  its  waters.  This  recommendation 
should  be  heeded.  The  entire  water  shed  of  the  Croton  ought  to 
be  purchased,  trenched  and  planted  to  trees;  made  a  park,  and 
filled  with  babbling  brooks  and  crystal  lakes  and  stocked  with 
trout.  That  the  water  supply  would,  under  such  conditions,  be 
found  at  all  times  abundant  for  a  city  as  large  as  London,  New 
York  and  Paris  we  are  inclined  to  believe. 

This  brings  us  to  the  introduction  of  a  witness  whose  reputation 
is  such  as  to  need  no  endorsement  from  us,  standing  as  he  does  in 


136  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

the  front  rank  of  American  physicians  and  surgeons — the  Hon. 
John  Swinburne,  late  Mayor  of  the  city  of  Albany,  at  one  time 
Health  Officer  of  the  Port  of  New  York,  and  now  Member  of  Con- 
gress elect  from  the  Albany  district. 

ALBANY,  May  7th,  1885. 
Hon.  A.  N.  Cole : 

DEAR  SIR: — After  quite  thorough  examination  and  consideration  of 
your  invention,  or  system  styled  by  you  "  The  New  Agriculture,"  I 
have  become  deeply  interested  in  the  matter,  and  beg  leave  by  letter 
to  express  to  you  the  impressions  I  have  formed  in  reference  to  it. 

Careful  thought  about  the  system  impels  me  to  the  conclusion 
that  as  a  plan  for  the  storage  and  preservation  of  waters  for  irrig- 
tion  and  purposes  of  general  use,  it  demands  and  merits  far  more  at- 
tention at  the  hands  of  farmers,  gardeners  and  the  public  generally 
than  has  as  yet  been  given  to  it. 

In  a  country  like  ours — in  the  eastern,  southern  and  central 
portions  fast  filling  up  with  large  cities  and  villages  and  thickly 
populated  neighborhoods — the  question  of  the  most  available 
means  of  obtaining  a  proper  and  sufficient  supply  of  water  for 
mechanical  manufacturing  and  household  purposes,  and  for  pro- 
tection against  fires  is  calling  to  its  consideration  the  earnest  atten- 
tion and  careful  study  of  many  of  our  ablest  scientists  and  most 
practical  thinkers;  while  to  agriculturists,  manufacturers  and  mill 
owners  generally,  in  these  sections,  the  very  perceptible  decrease  in 
the  volume  of  our  rivers,  creeks  and  other  irrigating  streams,  upon 
the  sufficiency  of  the  supply  of  water  from  which  they  have  been 
compelled  heretofore  (some  in  part  and  others  wholly),  to  depend 
for  success  in  their  various  avocations,  has  been  to  many  of  them 
the  cause  of  great  diminution  of  business  and  business  profits,  and 
to  others  a  subject  of  deepest  anxiety.  The  reduction  of  our  forests, 
it  is  said,  (and  very  properly  too),  has  resulted  in  a  consequent  re- 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  137 

duction  of  our  rivers  and  streams,  which  were  once  freely  naviga- 
ble from  their  mouths  nearly  to  their  sources,  until  they  are  now 
only  kept  open  for  commerce  in  many  parts  by  the  application  of 
great  labor  and  large  expenditures  of  money  almost  continually. 
And  as  have  failed  these  larger  streams,  so  have  also  their  smaller 
tributaries  (from  which  they  all  in  fact  derive  their  supplies),  be- 
come lessened  in  volume,  until  at  length  farms  which  were  once 
properly  and  abundantly  watered  are  now  comparatively  without 
supply,  and  streams  which  once  furnished  sufficient  water-power 
for  the  running  of  mills  and  factories,  now  scarcely  afford  power 
sufficient  to  propel  the  churns  of  the  farmers  occupying  their 
banks.  The  depreciation  in  the  value  of  lands  in  many  parts  of 
the  country  for  agricultural  purposes,  and  in  the  supply  of  crops 
therefrom,  and  from  the  same  cause,  has  become  equally  percepti- 
ble. Yet,  the  supply  of  water  from  the  clouds — from  rains  and 
snows — has  not,  so  far  as  we  know,  in  any  way  decreased; — but 
the  forests  are  not  here  to  husband  them,  and  these  waters  are 
permitted  to  soak  into  the  ground,  or  run  to  waste  from  the  sur- 
face almost  as  soon  as  they  strike  the  earth. 

The  problem  heretofore  has  been  how  best  to  secure  and  hus- 
band these  supplies,  by  artificial  means,  so  as  to  most  effectually 
preserve  them  for  the  vast  demands  of  our  wonderfully  increasing 
population,  for  family  and  business  purposes,  and  especially  so  as 
to  make  them  more  useful  in  the  cultivation  of  the  soil. 

Many  able  and  ingenious  thinking  men  have  for  a  long  time 
given  this  question  their  attention;  and  many  plans  have  been 
suggested — some  of  greater  and  some  of  less  merit — but  all  accom- 
panied with  an  apparent  intricacy  of  detail  and  weight  of  expense 
in  their  application,  which  has  prevented  the  general  or  consider- 
able adoption  of  either. 

But  you,  Mr.  Cole,   seem   at  last  to  have  discovered  a  scheme, 


138  THE   NEW   AGRICTJLTUKE. 

plain  and  practical  in  itself,  and  evidently  of  but  moderate  expense 
in  its  adaptation  to  the  uses  and  necessities  of  a  very  large  propor- 
tion of  the  people  who  are  now  suffering  severely  from  the  evils  to 
which  I  have  above  called  attention.  You  style  your  system  "  The 
New  Agriculture,"  and  from  its  probable  effect  upon  agricultural 
districts  in  which  it  may  be  hereafter  adopted,  as  indicated  by  the 
experiments  you  have  already  made,  the  name  would  not  seem  to  be 
in  any  way  misapplied.  If  the  results  of  its  use  in  general  should 
be  an  increase  in  crops  and  vegetation,  to  but  half  the  extent  fore- 
shadowed or  promised  by  those  experiments,  (and  I  can  see  110 
sufficient  reason  why  your  claims  in  this  respect  may  not  be  fully 
verified  by  practical  application  of  your  plan)  you  have  developed 
and  now  offer  to  the  country  and  the  race  a  new  system  for  hus- 
banding the  falling  waters  and  a  new  plan  for  their  use  which  will 
not  only  establish  a  new  era  in  agriculture,  but  which  may  be  so 
used  as  to  afford  the  needed  supply  of  good,  healthful  and  pure 
water  for  the  other  ordinary  uses  of  life  to  very  many  sections  of 
the  earth,  where  the  inhabitants  are  now  suffering  disadvantages 
and  deprivations  from  its  want. 

Your  plan  or  invention  is  exceedingly  simple  in  detail,  and  the 
greatest  wonder  to  any  one  who  shall  see  or  read  of  it  will  be, 
that  it  had  not  been  thought  of,  developed  and  adopted  long  be- 
fore. It  bears  the  impress  of  reason  and  sound  sense  upon  its 
first  presentation  to  the  mind  and  more  mature  reflection  upon  its 
merits  only  results  in  more  strongly  developing  these  characteris- 
tics in  it.  The  scientist  and  the  plow-boy  alike  can  each  with 
equal  promptness  and  facility  perceive  its  scheme  and  merits  at  a 
glance,  and  the  person  who  proposes  to  use  it  on  his  farm  or  gar- 
den, or  in  connection  with  his  shop,  dwelling-house,  mill  or  fac- 
tory will  not  require  the  assistance  of  the  scientific  and  mathemati- 
cal knowledge  of  the  civil  engineer  or  architect  to  enable  him  to 


STRAWBERRY,    NATURAL   SIZE. 


THE   NEW   AGEICULTUEE.  139 

put  it  in  successful  operation,  the  brain  of  an  astute  accountant  to 
estimate  its  cost,  or  the  eye  or  mind  of  the  learned  student  of 
nature  to  discover  its  results.  Combining  in  itself  a  plan  for  the 
accomplishment  of  these  objects  highly  essential  to  the  comfort, 
convenience  and  business  interests  of  the  people, — storage  of  water, 
irrigation  and  drainage, — it  will  be  seen  at  once  by  even  the  ordi- 
nary mind  upon  most  casual  inspection,  to  be  practicable  and 
feasible  for  either  purpose,  and  it  must  be  equally  evident  that 
great  advantages  must  accrue  to  the  user  of  the  system  either  for 
agricultural  purposes,  the  storage  of  water  for  other  general  uses, 
or  as  a  means  of  drainage  simply. 

Scarcely  a  township  exists  in  our  country,  in  which  there  are 
not  many  farms  upon  which  your  admirable  system  could  be  ap- 
plied to  great  advantage  and  profit.  Large  portions  of  territory 
in  agricultural  districts  are  now  entirely  useless,  or  at  least  com- 
paratively unproductive,  by  reason  of  insufficient  irrigation  ;  and 
these  through  the  appliance  of  your  "New  Agriculture,"  could  be 
made  vastly  more  productive  ;  while  the  present  productive  por- 
tions would  be  increased  in  productive  power  through  the  same 
instrumentality.  To  the  grape  and  other  fruit  growers,  it  seems 
to  me,  it  affords  especially  inducements  for  use,  which  will  speedily 
bring  it  into  imperative  demand  with  the  large  majority  of  this 
important  business  class.  Through  it  thousands  of  agriculturists 
in  every  state  may  easily  and  with  little  expense  make  their  bar- 
ren wastes  to  smile  with  productiveness,  and  the  better  portions  of 
their  farms  to  double  in  value  by  reason  of  increase  in  crops. 

But  the  advantages  to  be  derived  from  the  use  of  your  plan  in 
the  storage  of  water  for  other  than  agricultural  purposes  are 
equally  apparent,  and  must  eventually  bring  it  into  active  demand 
and  use  in  localities  where  the  supply  of  water  is  now  insufficient 
for  the  requirements  of  cities  and  villages  ;  and  by  its  application 


140  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

many  such  corporations  will  be  enabled  to  furnish  their  citizens 
with  good,  cool  and  pure  water,  in  sufficient  quantities,  and  at 
far  less  expense  than  they  can  by  any  other  plan  or  system 
now  known.  Of  course,  whether  it  can  be  so  utilized  as  to  furnish 
very  large  cities  with  sufficient  supply  is  a  problem  hereafter  to  be 
demonstrated  ;  but  in  our  own  state,  (and  without  doubt  in  every 
other  state),  there  are  hundreds  of  smaller  cities  and  thickly  pop- 
ulated villages  and  hamlets,  whose  inhabitants  are  now  suffering 
great  inconvenience,  and  incurring  risks  of  sickness  and  death 
from  malarial  and  epidemic  diseases,  from  insufficient  supplies  of 
healthful  and  pure  waters — whose  surroundings  are  such  that,  by 
the  reasonable  application  of  your  simple  system  for  collection 
and  storage  of  water  they  could  each,  at  much  less  cost  than  in 
any  other  way,  be  furnished  with  a  permanent  and  sufficient  quan- 
tity of  the  best  of  water  for  all  the  purposes  for  which  it  may  be 
required  by  them.  Then  too,  the  hills  or  mountains  surrounding 
or  adjoining  these  places, — often  now  utterly  unproductive,  and 
sometimes  even  unsightly  in  appearance, — can  by  this  same  plan 
be  transformed  into  productive  and  ornate  terraced  gardens,  far 
excelling  in  products  and  profit  the  ordinary  agricultural  lands  of 
the  neighborhood  and  rivaling  in  beauty  the  most  famous  of  the 
ornamental  gardens  of  the  old  world, — presenting  at  all  times  "  a 
thing  of  beauty  "  to  the  eye,  season  by  season  affording  more  prof- 
itable remuneration  to  their  owners  from  the  crops  and  fruits  and 
vegetables  which  shall  spring  from  and  adorn  their  slopes  ;  and  at 
the  same  time  and  always  affording  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  popu- 
lous places  beneath  their  shades  a  bountiful  supply  of  Heaven's 
best  and  only  beverage  for  man. 

I  am  confident  that  your  system  will  grow  in  popularity  with  its 
use  ;  and  eventually  a  grateful  people,  thankful  for  the  blessings 
your  invention  has  brought  to  their  hands,  will  rank  3-011  as  a  ben- 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  141 

efactor  of  the  human  race,  who  has  not  only  succeeded  in  making 
two  blades  of  grass  grow  where  one  was  wont  to  appear  ;  but  who 
has  also  taught  them  by  simple  method,  and  at  cheapest  cost,  the 
way  to  secure  for  themselves  a  sufficiency  of  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant of  God's  gifts  to  man,  and  beast,  and  nature. 

This  letter  requires  no  answer — it  is  written  to  testify  my  appre- 
ciation of  the  merits  of  the  invention  of  an  old  friend,  and  he  is 
at  liberty  to  use  it  as  he  may  deem  proper. 

With  sentiments  of  respect  I  am,  as  ever,  yours  truly, 

JOHN  SWINBURNE. 

The  case  of  water  poisoning,  at  Plymouth,  Pennsylvania,  should 
operate  as  a  warning  that  all  over  our  land  water  works  have  been 
and  are  being  constructed,  in  the  sources  and  supplies  of  which 
are  found  the  germs  of  disease  and  death.  "Whatever  the  source 
of  water  supply  filtration  is  imperatively  necessary,  except  where 
springs  or  spring  brooks  discharge  their  waters  so  directly  into 
reservoirs  as  to  prevent  infection,  pollution,  or  even  the  existence 
of  roil.  Can  waters  admixing  with  those  of  the  surface  be  render- 
ed pure  and  healthful,  is  the  paramount  question.  This  brings  us 
to  the  introduction  of  an  article  by  Professor  De  Smedt,  District 
Chemist,  of  "Washington,  D.  C.,  as  published  under  date  of  June 
26th,  the  subject  being  the  water  of  the  Potomac  river. 

"  Is  perfect  filtration  and  aeration  possible  in  a  volume  of  water 
sufficient-  to  supply  large  cities  ?  This  is  a  question  for  the  consid- 
eration of  engineering  science;  the  chemist  can  determine  only  the 
results  of  the  scheme  should  it  prove  to  be  practical. 

"  "Water,  in  the  order  of  its  purity,  may  be  divided  into  three 
classes:  First,  rain  water,  which  is  the  most  impure;  second,  river 
water;  and  third,  spring  and  deep  well  water,  which  are  the  purest 
The  purity  of  the  spring  water  is  owing  to  the  fact  that  it  has  been 
filtered  and  aerated  through  sandy  soil,  which  is  indisputably  the 


142  THE   MEW   AU1UCULTUKE. 

most  perfect  purifier  of  water  containing  organic  impurities;  this 
is  demonstrated  by  natural  facts.  Spring  water,  generally  so  pure 
and  limpid,  proceeds  from  surface  waters  polluted  with  vegetable 
and  animal  impurities,  but  becomes  purified  during  its  passage 
through  the  earth.  This  evidence  furnished  by  springs,  is  confirm- 
ed by  practical  results  of  the  irrigation  of  sewerage  instituted  in 
England  and  France.  Finally,  the  proof  is  made  conclusive  by 
analysis  and  scientific  experiments  that  perfect  artificial  filtration 
can  produce  water  almost  as  pure  as  spring  water. 

""Water,  more  or  less  polluted,  having  passed  through  a  deep 
filter  composed  of  sand,  containing  a  small  percentage  of  argillous 
matter,  the  insoluble  particles  are  stopped  at  the  surface  and  the 
more  minute  particles  are  retained  deeper  in  the  body  of  the  filter. 
This  is  the  first  result  produced, — it  is  a  simple  mechanical  filtra- 
tion. The  water  being  cleansed  of  the  insoluble  matter,  descends 
deeper;  each  particle  of  sand  is  drenched  with  a  thin  film  of  water; 
thus  divided,  the  water  offers  to  the  confined  air  in  the  earth  or 
filter  an  enormous  surface  of  action.  Now  commences  the  second 
effect  of  perfect  filtration  and  aeration,  which  is  the  combustion  of 
the  organic  matter  in  solution  in  the  water.  It  is  a  general  saying 
that  fire  purifies  everything,  and  indeed  there  is  no  organic  matter, 
so  impure  or  so  unhealthy,  which  fire,  with  the  aid  of  the  oxygen 
of  the  air,  will  not  transform  into  carbonic  acid,  water  and  nitro- 
gen. In  the  interior  of  this  filter  a  purification  likewise  takes 
place,  not  violent  and  visible  like  that  caused  by  fire,  but  slow  and 
without  any  perceptible  evidence;  nevertheless  it  is  a  combustion 
which  reduces  all  organic  impurities  to  carbonic  acid,  water  and 
nitrogen.  It  is  even  a  more  perfect  combustion  than  that  caused 
by  fire,  producing  oxydation  of  the  nitrogen  and  the  formation  of 
nitric  acid,  a  result  which  fire  cannot  produce. 

"  In  conclusion,  I  will  say  that  the  filtration  and  aeration  of  all 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  143 

river  waters  would  be  beneficial,  but  as  to  its  practicability,  I  beg 
leave  to  refer  the  subject  to  the  consideration  of  those  whose  prov- 
ince it  is  to  determine  such  matters." 

The  following  extract  from  the  New  York  Tribune  refers  to  the 
recent  epidemic  at  Plymouth,  Penn.  : 

"  The  result  of  the  investigation  of  the  causes  of  the  epidemic  at 
Plymouth,  Penn.,  made  by  Dr.  Cyrus  Edson  and  Dr.  James  B. 
Taylor,  of  the  Board  of  Health,  assisted  by  the  chemist  of  the 
Board,  Dr.  Edward  W.  Martin,  will  be  reported  to  the  Board  as 
soon  as  the  analysis  of  water  taken  from  the  Susquehanna  River 
where  it  flows  past  the  town  from  a  mountain  stream,  from  wells, 
and  from  mines  in  the  vicinity,  are  completed.  The  investigating 
physicians  went  to  Plymouth  last  Wednesday  and  returned  on 
Saturday.  Dr.  Edson  yesterday  told  a  Tribune  reporter  what 
they  saw  and  what  conclusions  they  had  arrived  at.  He  said: 

"  The  fever  prevailing  at  Plymouth  is  one  of  the  most  interest- 
ing epidemics  that  we  have  ever  had  in  this  country.  The  great 
majority  of  the  cases  have  been  caused  by  one  case  of  typhoid 
fever.  That  case  has  inoculated  between  700  and  1,000  cases 
almost  simultaneously— all  within  the  period  between  March  2(> 
and  April  1.  No  doubt  the  infection  was  spread  by  the  water, 
though  other  causes  assisted.  The  town  was  just  ripe  for  it.  The 
streets  were  filthy,  and  the  place  altogether  in  bad  condition. 
The  systems  of  the  people  were  in  a  condition  that  made  them  easy 
victims  to  the  disease.  They  had  been  drinking  water  polluted 
with  sewage.  On  March  2G  a  new  supply  of  water  was  received 
from  a  mountain  stream  which  had  been  polluted  by  the  dejections 
of  a  typhoid  fever  patient,  who  was  sick  in  a  house  near  the 
stream.  They  were  thrown  on  the  snow  within  a  few  feet  of  this 
water  course.  The  snow  melted  and  flowed  into  the  stream,  the 
water  of  which,  being  released  by  the  melting  of  the  ice  that  had 


144  THE  "NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

confined  it,  soon  filled  up  the  reservoirs,  which  until  then  were 
almost  empty.  The  water  passing  through  the  ice  and  hardly 
exposed  to  the  air  reached  the  reservoirs  a  little  over  one-eighth 
of  a  mile  distant.  The  great  outburst  of  the  typhoid  fever  oc- 
curred between  April  12  and  April  18.  The  time  of  incubation  of 
typhoid  fever  is  generally  from  ten  to  twenty  days.  We  looked 
into  the  milk  supply  carefully.  A  few  cases  were  due  to  that,  but 
many  who  had  their  own  cows  had  the  fever.  The  epidemic  is  now 
dying  out.  The  water  is  all  right  now  and  was  before,  but  it  was 
infected  by  accident.  The  river  water,  although  that  was  hardly 
contaminated,  was  pumped  into  the  mines  for  several  weeks  prior 
to  March  26. 

"The  result  of  the  investigation  only  shows  the  necessity  of 
keeping  a  wrater  supply  pure  and  free  from  contamination.  The 
Avells  in  this  city  are  all  wrorse  than  any  in  that  town,  where  they 
are  frequently  polluted  by  adjacent  filth.  I  have  found  people 
using  water  from  wells  dug  in  this  city.  I  had  to  arrest  John 
Gelston,  a  large  mineral-water  manufacturer,  a  few  weeks  ago  for 
using  well  water  in  making  his  beverages.  He  was  convicted 
in  the  Special  Sessions  and  fined  $25.  I  discovered  that  he  was 
using  well  water  by  having  his  mineral  waters  analyzed.  A  manu- 
facturer like  him  can  save  from  $2,500  to  $3,000  in  Croton  water 
taxes  by  using  well  wrater.  Our  recent  investigation  at  the  Croton 
water-shed  shows  that  there  is  no  reason  for  apprehension  on  ac- 
count of  the  pollution  of  the  water  at  present,  but  the  population 
near  the  river  bank  is  increasing,  and  after  a  while  there  will  be 
danger  unless  the  city  purchases  the  land  on  both  banks  for  half  a 
mile  back,  or  takes  some  other  measures  to  prevent  contamination. 
It  would  be  cheaper  to  buy  the  land  now  than  to  wait  until  the 
danger  is  imminent  and  the  land  dearer." 

Not   only  at  Plymouth   but  in  other   towns   and   cities   without 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  145 

number,  the  streams  run  dry,  or  nearly  so,  not  only  in  the  heat  of 
summer  but  in  the  winter  months  also,  and  everywhere  "  there  is 
death  in  the  pot."  Nor  is  the  craze  to  make  money  by  manufac- 
turing tile,  having  no  other  purpose  than  to  hurry  off  the  waters 
as  fast  as  possible,  in  any  degree  greater,  than  that  of  the  farmer 
who  seizes  upon  it,  paying  his  money  for  a  curse  rather  than  a 
blessing,  and  digging  trenches  regardless  alike  of  expense  and 
philosophy,  begetting  water  famines  as  surely  to  come  in  time  as 
death  and  the  undertaker. 

There  is  no  reason  why  the  river  at  Plymouth  should  have  been 
dry  in  March,  nor,  indeed,  during  any  month  of  any  year.  All  the 
springs,  brooks,  rivulets  and  rivers  of  our  land  can  be  made, 
should  be  made,  those  of  perpetual  flow.  Their  waters  should  be 
pure  and  undefiled,  bringing  life,  joy,  health  and  happiness  to  the 
people,  instead  of  being  denied  by  decay  and  bearing  death  to 
animal  and  vegetable  creations. 

Should  the  doctors  continue  on  with  the  work  they  have  under- 
taken, which  they  will  surely  do,  they  will  succeed  in  curing  nearly 
everybody  hitherto  sick,  and  preventing  disease  in  the  future. 
They  have  but  to  convince  mankind  that  pure  water  is  the  source 
of  health,  and  its  opposite  an  equal  fountain  from  which  flows  dis- 
ease and  death,  and  the  world  will  not  be  long  finding  out 
that  passing  the  waters  through  soils  purifies  them  completely. 

Among  all  who  came  to  look  over  our  grounds  during  the  sea- 
sons of  1883  and  '84,  no  one  made  so  careful  an  examination  into 
the  principle  of  our  system,  as  the  Hon.  Charles  R.  Earley,  who  has 
a  divided  residence  between  Philadelphia  and  his  model  hillside 
home  at  Bidgway,  Elk  County,  Pennsylvania.  We  say  model  home, 
since  such  it  cannot  fail  to  become,  should  the  Doctor  carry  out  his 
present  intentions  of  making  application  of  our  system  to  his 
place,  demonstrating  the  utmost  of  its  possibilities.  To  do  this, 


146  THE   NEW   AGKICULTUEE. 

would  call  for  the  use  of  tile,  clay  or  cement,  since,  unfortunately 
in  the  light  of  economy,  Dr.  Earley  is  not  as  well  situated  as  those 
who  can  with  greater  economy  and  facility  avail  themselves  of  the 
advantages  of  our  discoveries,  as  he  does  not  possess  what  is, 
in  due  time  to  be  recognized  as  the  greatest  of  good  fortunes,  a 
retentive  subsoil  coupled  with  an  abundance  of  stone.  Notwith- 
standing this  the  Doctor  was  one  of  the  first  among  friends  who 
entered  heartily  into  sympathy  with  us,  carefully  examining  our 
methods.  A  man  of  rare  intuition  he  seemed  to  discover  the  whole 
thing  at  a  glance,  pronounced  us  on  the  right  track  and  predicted 
that  our  work  was  one  sure  to  result  in  making  an  end  of  the  run- 
ning of  the  waters  in  riot  over  soils;  that  the  latter  could  and  ulti- 
mately would  be  so  conformed  as  to  pass  the  waters  of  rains,  dews 
and  snows  through  them,  and  that  waters  of  streams,  pools,  ponds 
and  lakes  would  be  by  this  means  filtered  and  made  pure,  and  rel- 
atively an  end  be  made  of  the  seeds  of  fungus  now  producing  de- 
cay and  death.  Doctor  Earley,  was,  in  fact,  the  first  man  whom  we 
met  who  agreed  with  us  as  regarded  this  fertile  and  fundamental 
cause,  from  which,  come  the  ills  to  which  all  flesh  is  heir. 

PHILADELPHIA,  PA.,  March  28th,  1885. 
Hon.  A.  N.  Cole,  Wettswlk,  N.  Y. 

DEAR  SIR  : — Your  letter  enclosing  circular,  was  forwarded  to  me 
here  from  my  home  at  Ridgway,  Pa.  I  see  in  the  circular  that  I 
am  expected  to  write  a  chapter  on  fungi,  for  your  forthcoming  vol- 
ume, devoted  to  the  promotion  of  your  new  system  of  agriculture 
and  horticulture. 

This  demand  comes  upon  me  like  an  electric  shock,  as  I  fear  that 
the- time  will  be  too  short  to  do  justice  to  so  important  a  subject. 
My  time  is  so  fully  taken  up  with  a  diversity  of  interests,  that  I 
hardly  know  how  to  gain  the  time  required  to  treat  a  subject  of 
such  prime  importance,  since  it  is  one  that  will  not  bear  hasty 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  147 

attention.  The  life,  health  and  happiness  of  the  human  family 
depends  greatly  upon  a  full  and  correct  understanding1  of  the  part 
which  fungi  occupies  in  the  various  diseases  with  which  mankind  is 
"burdened.  We  might  say  that  to  this  one  ,cause  may  be  traced  a 
greater  part  of  the  diseases  known  to  medicine.  The  food  we  eat, 
the  water  we  drink,  and  the  air  we  breathe  are  all  to  a  greater  or 
less  extent  impregnated  with  poisonous  fungoid  atoms. 

To  bring  this  chapter  consistently  within  the  scope  and  tenor  of 
your  volume,  it  will  be  necessary  for  me  to  go  into  the  subject  in 
some  order  and  system,  and  to  that  end  I  will  divide  the  matter 
into  the  following  heads  : 

Fungi — its  action  on  Man. 

Fungi — its  action  on  Stock  Animals. 

Fungi — its  action  on  Vegetation. 

Fungi — its  action  on  Man.- — Now  in  treating  the  subject  under 
this  head,  I  wish  it  understood  that  I  do  not  propose  to  go  into  a 
technical  analysis  or  treatise  on  the  genera,  forms,  phases  and  no- 
menclature of  fungi,  but  rather  to  speak  of  it  in  a  general  way,  and 
of  such  as  exert  a  baneful  influence. 

In  order  to  investigate  its  action  on  man,  it  is  but  natural  that  I 
should  examine  more  especially  as  to  the  vehicles  that  carry  the 
deleterious  cause  to  the  circulation  and  tissues.  It  may  be  by  in- 
halation, but  it  is  certainly  more  frequently  carried  into  the  system 
by  means  of  food  and  drink.  That  fungal  spores  are  constantly 
afloat  in  the  air,  is  certain,  and  apart  from  my  own  investigations, 
I  could  cite  a  number  of  reliable  authorities. 

The  experiments  of  Dr.  Cunningham,  conducted  in  India,  have 
been  convincing  on  this  point *"  Spores  and  other  vege- 
table cells  are  constantly  present  in  the  atmospheric  dust,  and 


*From  microflcopio  Examination.*  of  Air,  from  the  9th  Annual  Report  of  tuo  Sanitary  Com- 
mission.    Calcutta,  1872. 


148  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

usually  occur  in  considerable  numbers  ;  the  majority  of  them  are 
living  and  capable  of  growth  and.  development." 

"  Recently  a  case  occurred  at  the  Botanic  Gardens  at  Edin- 
burgh, which  was  somewhat  novel.  The  assistant  to  the  Botanical 
professor  was  preparing  for  demonstration  some  dried  specimens 
of  a  large  puff-ball,  filled  with  the  dustlike  spores,  which  he  acci- 
dentally inhaled,  and  was  for  sometime  confined  to  his  room  under 
medical  attendance  from  the  irritation  they  caused."  * 

This  seemingly  is  an  endorsement  that  the  air  we  breathe  is  at  all 
times  more  or  less  charged  with  fungal  material,  -which  under  certain 
conditions  is  capable  of  development  to  such  an  extent  as  to 
cause  local  irritation,  and  as  I  well  know,  from  personal  experience 
and  investigation,  will  at  times  produce  blood  poisoning  with  its 
train  of  concomitant  evils. 

Commencing  the  practice  of  medicine  at  the  age  of  twenty-two, 
I  devoted  my  best  energies  to  that  profession,  during  a  period  of 
about  forty  years.  In  April,  1846,  I  left  my  native  state,  New 
York,  and  settled  in  the  wilds  of  upper  Pennsylvania,  where  the 
nearest  physician  was  forty  miles  away.  I  was  thus  alone  in  my 
struggle  with  those  enemies  of  man, — death  and  disease.  To  my 
surprise  I  found,  that  there  was  hardly  a  man,  woman  or  child  in 
that  whole  region  in  perfect  health.  On  the  mountains  and  hill- 
sides, in  the  valleys,  and  in  the  towns,  I  found  that  nearly  every- 
one was  in  some  way  diseased. 

This  was  to  my  mind  an  anomalous  condition  of  affairs,  and  be- 
ing of  an  investigating  turn  of  mind,  I  sought  in  every  instance, 
where  I  was  called  upon  to  attend  the  sick,  to  trace  its  cause.  I 
said  to  myself,  here  is  my  work,  which  must  call  forth  my  full 
energies.  Here  begins  the  work  of  the  doctor,  which  never  has, 
can  or  will  end  ;  to  examine  into  the  remote  and  latent  cause  of 


*Ftmgi.    M.  C.  Cooke,  M.  A.,  L.  L.  D. 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  149 

disease.  It  is  not  only  the  duty  of  the  physician  to  help  nature  in 
the  cure  of  disease,  but  it  is  also  part  of  his  work  to  seek  out  and 
remove  the  primary  cause.  He  must  examine  the  dwelling  inside 
and  out,  the  cellar  beneath,  the  food  the  family  eat ;  the  water  they 
drink  and  the  air  they  breathe.  In  fact  it  is  preeminently  his  duty 
to  prevent  as  well  as  cure  disease. 

It  is  requisite  in  investigating  for  a  first  cause,  that  the  physic- 
ian should  examine  closely  into  the  modes  and  ways  and  living  of 
the  people  immediately  surrounding  the  patient.  One  great  cause 
of  disease  of  the  people  with  whom  I  was  brought  in  contact,  was 
the  ill-advised  custom  of  storing  their  winter  supply  of  vegetables 
and  provisions  in  the  cellars  of  their  houses.  It  is  a  fact  demon- 
strated beyond  the  possibility  of  a  doubt,  that  such  a  thing  as  per- 
fectly healthy  fruit  or  vegetable  is  rarely  to  be  found.  The  unde- 
tected incipient  potatoe  rot  has  frequently  done  its  work  of  death 
by  the  production  of  blood  poison.  It  is  almost  impossible  to  find 
an  unblemished  apple,  pear,  peach,  plum,  cherry  or  berry.  They 
all  have  spots  or  blemish  of  some  kind,  and  wherever  you  find  fer- 
mentation and  decay,  you  will  also  find  fungi. 

The  fungi  as  germs  of  disease  are  always  present  both  in  the  air 
and  food.  Go  to  a  market,  tell  the  fruit  dealer  that  you  want  a 
bushel  of  apples  without  speck  or  blemish,  and  that  for  that  bush- 
el you  will  give  him  the  price  of  a  barrel.  His  answer  to  you  will 
be: 

"  I  could  not  do  that  sir,  for  the  price  of  four  barrels,  and  I 
doubt  if  I  could  do  it  at  all." 

This  is  not  only  the  case  with  fruit,  but  with  all  vegetables  and 
cereals. 

Now  in  view  of  all  this,  is  it  not  patent  that  we  are  constantly 
taking  the  germs  of  disease  ?  Most  assuredly  it  is.  Our  circula- 
tion and  tissues  are  full  of  disease-bearing  germs,  only  awaiting 


150  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

full  development  and  opportunity  to  do  their  fell  work.  Why, 
when  I  think  of  it  in  all  its  details,  I  am  only  surprised  there  is  not 
more  sickness  and  death.  Surprised  that  there  should  be  any  ap- 
parently well  people  anywhere.  Most  people  eat  their  food  with- 
out a  thought  as  to  whether  it  is  pure  and  healthy,  or  that  diseased 
food  can  not  do  otherwise  than  produce  diseased  and  poisonous 
blood.  Go  into  the  gardens  of  our  towns,  and  those  out  in  the 
country,  and  examine  the  growing  vegetables.  How  many  of 
them  will  you  find  in  a  healthy  condition  ?  I  think  you  will  fail  to 
find  one  single  plant  that  is  perfect.  Either  the  roots,  stalk,  leaf 
or  fruit  will  be  found  affected  in  some  way.  Take  the  water  we 
drink.  It  will  not  take  long,  nor  will  you  need  the  aid  of  a  power- 
ful microscope,  to  convince  you  of  the  presence  of  fungi,  or  germs 
of  some  kind. 

Fungi — its  action  on  stock  animals. 

As  man  is  only  a  higher  type  of  animal,  it  is  but  natural,  that 
that  which  affects  him,  will  also  affect  the  lower  animals ;  the  only 
difference  being  that  of  degree.  That  which  would  probably  be 
very  virulent  in  man,  would  be  of  a  milder  type  in  the  other.  Then 
too  the  type  of  its  manifestation  might  be  different,  but  the  same 
first  cause  will  be  always  present.  Poisoned  blood  and  tissues 
produced  by  poisoned  food,  water  and  air.  But  there  is  another 
feature  that  is  generally  overlooked.  There  is  not  so  much  care 
used  in  selecting  their  food  and  water  as  is  the  case  with  man.  If 
the  bran  or  corn  meal  happens  to  be  a  little  musty,  sour  or  wormy, 
it  is  not  thrown  away.  No;  it  is  fed  to  the  stock.  They  will  not 
notice  it.  If  the  sides  of  the  water  trough  are  green  with  slime, 
it  is  not  thoroughly  cleansed.  They  will  drink.  Cattle  are  not 
fastidious.  If  the  hay  is  a  little  musty,  it  is  not  discarded.  The 
stock  have  not  very  discriminating  eyes,  they  will  eat  it.  If  the  air 
of  the  stables  reek  with  ammoniacal  gas  and  have  little  or  no  ventil- 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  151 

ation,  it  matters  not.  The  animals  do  not  notice  it,  or  if  they  do, 
they  can  not  remonstrate.  But  here  let  me  ask,  are  the  people  not 
being  surely  punished  ?  I  think  the  reply  to  this  would  be  unan- 
imously affirmative  were  we  able  to  follow  the  effect  that  the  ma- 
nures from  these  animals  have  on  the  food  cereals  brought  to  fru- 
ition through  its  use.  Not  only  the  human  family  is  suffering  from 
this  terrible  condition  and  neglect  of  our  soil,  thus  producing 
fungi,  but  our  stock  animals  are  suffering  in  an  equally  bad  way. 
The  grasses  that  they  feed  from  in  our  pastures,  and  the  hay  made 
from  same  and  stored  for  winter  use,  if  examined  under  a  micro- 
scope, will  be  found  to  be  extensively  covered  with  fungi.  This 
bears  various  titles,  such  as  smut,  rust,  or  mildew,  or  other  names 
applied  in  different  localities.  Corn,  in  many  sections,  is  sowed  for 
fodder,  and  this,  upon  examination,  will  be  found  to  be  in  the  same 
condition.  In  this  connection  I  would  refer  to  the  recent  develop- 
ments in  Texas,  where  cattle  were  suffering  with  what  a  number  of 
authorities  pronounced  contagious  pleuro-pneumonia;  but  upon 
investigation,  were  found  to  be  in  a  diseased  condition,  from  eating 
of  corn  that  was  extensively  smutted.  Oats  with  their  rust,  wheat 
and  rye  with  their  ergot  and  other  diseases,  all  these  different  pro- 
ductions are  alike  affected. 

Our  writers  on  the  subject  of  stock,  refer  frequently  to  (so-called) 
contagious  pleuro-pneumonia.  Cows  kept  for  their  milk  for  sup- 
plying our  large  cities  and  towns,  are  nearly  all  fed  with  this 
mass  of  poison,  and  kept  in  badly  ventilated  stables,  shut  up 
and  excluded  from  the  air.  Congress  and  our  legislatures  pass 
laws  and  appoint  commissioners  to  examine  into  and  destroy  all 
stock  affected,  to  prevent  the  spread  of  the  contagion.  They 
never  for  one  moment  think  of  examining  the  farms  and  stables, 
and  the  feed  of  the  animal.  In  my  investigations  in  the  vicinity 
of  Philadelphia,  into  "contagious  pleuro  pneumonia"  (so-called,) 


152  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

I  found  diseased  mucous  membrane,  the  air  passages  thickened, 
congestion  of  the  lining  membranes,  all  more  or  less  congested  and 
covered  with  slime  and  fungi,  so  much  so  indeed,  that  the  smaller 
tubes  of  the  bronchials  were  collapsed,  thus  preventing  free  pas- 
sage of  air,  consequently  making  it  impossible  to  fully  inflate  the 
lungs.  Not  only  were  the  bronchials  affected,  but  I  also  found  the 
throat  and  mouth  extensively  covered  with  slime  and  fungi.  On 
examining  into  the  character  of  the  food  which  had  been  fed  I 
found  that,  in  many  cases,  it  consisted  of  malt  dust,  full  of  fungi. 
Garbage  in  some  cases  was  fed,  and  many  different  kinds  of  food 
supposed  to  produce  milk  rapidly.  The  grass  and  hay  in  almost 
every  case,  I  found  to  contain  mould  or  fungi  in  some  form. 

Is  there  such  a  disease  as  "Contagious  Pleuro-Pneumonia ?" 

I  clip  the  following  from  the  morning  papers  of  Philadelphia,  of 
Saturday,  June  6th,  1885. 

[From  the  Record.] 

"  Much  excitement  has  been  occasioned  among  the  farmers  in  the 
vicinity  of  Pavonia  on  the  northern  outskirts  of  Camden  by  the 
appearance  of  the  pleuro-pneumonia  in  the  herd  of  cattle  on  the 
farm  of  M.  Feenfer.  Drs.  Miller  and  Dyer  of  the  State  Board  of 
Health  have  investigated  the  outbreak  and  believe  that  the  rigid 
quarantine  which  they  have  established  will  prevent  the  spread  of 
the  disease.  The  herd  of  nine  cows  was  purchased  last  February 
at  the  West  Philadelphia  stock  yards.  Two  of  the  infected  ani- 
mals have  been  killed  and  the  remainder  inoculated." 

[From  the  Times.  ] 

"  A  general  examination  is  being  made  of  herds  of  cattle  in 
Camden  and  Gloucester  Counties  by  Drs.  W.  B.  E.  Miller  and  C.  K. 
Dyer,  of  the  New  Jersey  State  Board  of  Health.  On  the  farm  of 
M.  Feenfer,  at  Pavonia,  near  the  Camden  Water  Works,  a  herd  of 
fine  cattle  is  said  to  be  infected  with  pleuro-pneumonia.  The  dis- 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTUKE.  153 

ease  was  brought  to  the  farm  by  three  or  four  cows  which  were 
purchased  by  Mr.  Feenfer  at  the  West  Philadelphia  stock  yard  in 
February  last.  Great  care  will  be  taken  by  the  authorities  to  pre- 
vent the  spread  of  the  disease  and  the  herd  has  been  quarantined." 

Having  had  some  experience  in  investigatiug  the  causes  of  dis- 
eases in  both  man  and  beast  pronounced  as  "  contagious  "  by  many, 
which  to  my  mind  were  caused  by  bad  food,  bad  air  and  bad  drink, 
I  at  once  went  to  Camden,  N.  J.,  where  we  procured  a  conveyance 
and  were  taken  to  the  "  farm  "  referred  to  above,  near  Pavonia,  a 
distance  of  about  three  miles  from  the  City  Hall,  Camden.  There 
are  about  fifty  dwellings  scattered  about  this  place.  On  our  way 
there  we  met  the  two  veterinary  surgeons  or  members  of  the  State 
Board  of  Health,  Drs.  Miller  and  Dyer  returning  from  the  "  Feen- 
fer farm "  where  they  had  been  visiting  the  sick  cows.  On  our 
arrival  at  Michael  Feenfer's  place  about  10  o'clock  A.  M.,  we  found 
Mr.  Feenfer  the  "  farmer "  referred  to  was  away  with  his  milk 
wagon  selling  the  milk  from  the  cows  not  yet  dead  or  dying,  and 
would  not  return  before  11.30,  so  we  were  introduced  to  his  'son,  a 
young  man  about  17  years  old,  who  very  kindly  showed  us  all  the 
surroundings  of  the  place. 

The  "  farm "  referred  to  consisted  of  about  four  town  lots  on 
which  were  erected,  one  dwelling  house,  and  outhouses,  one  cow 
stable,  one  cow  shed,  a  hogpen  and  a  hen-house,  situated  about  one- 
half  mile  from  the  Delaware  River  on  rather  low  ground. 

We  found  the  stable  about  sixteen  by  twenty-four  feet,  with 
eight  stalls  on  each  side,  three  feet  wide.  The  door  opened  out 
into  the  cow  shed  which  was  about  the  same  size  as  the  stable  and 
open  on  one  side.  The  stable  was  low  and  had  loose  boards  placed 
overhead  where  hay  was  kept  for  feed.  There  was  also  a  window 
that  opened  out  into  the  yard,  which  window  and  door  were  the 
only  means  of  ventilation  provided. 


154  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

Just  in  front  of  this  window  and  door  was  a  cesspool  about 
fifteen  feet  in  diameter  that  took  up  the  drainage  and  filth  from 
the  cow  stable,  hogpen  and  hen-house,  as  well  as  the  drainage 
from  the  dwelling  and  all  the  outhouses.  This  cesspool  was  full 
of  the  very  worst  of  filth.  The  liquid  was  as  black  as  tar  and  they 
had  recently  filled  it  with  swamp  and  bog  sods,  with  long  swamp 
weeds  and  grass,  as  they  said  "  to  keep  the  cows  from  miring."  In 
the  stable  was  found  but  one  cow,  the  rest  of  the  stalls  were  full 
of  all  sorts  of  trash  and  filth.  The  shed  was  in  like  condition,  only 
worse.  "We  opened  up  our  inquiries  as  follows: 

"  How  many  cows  have  you  ?" 

"We  had  thirteen." 

"  How  many  have  you  now  ?" 

"  Six  and  this  sick  one." 

'•What  became  of  the  others?" 

"  Four  died,  one  we  sold  and  one  we  gave  away." 

"  Where  are  the  six  ?" 

"  In  the  pasture." 

'•  How  did  your  cows  get  sick  ?" 

"We  bought  one  cow  from  the  West  Philadelphia  stock  yard 
about  two  months  ago  and  in  about  a  week  after  we  bought  her 
she  had  a  calf,  and  in  about  two  days  after  she  had  her  calf,  she 
took  sick  and  died.  The  cow  doctors  said  she  caught  the  disease 
in  the  stock  yard." 

"  Did  the  calf  get  sick  and  die  ?" 

"  No,  the  calf  was  healthy." 

"What  did  you  do  with  the  calf?" 

"We  sold  the  calf  to  the  butchers." 

"Were  there  any  cows  sick  in  the  stock  yard  when  you  bought 
this  one  ?" 

"  Not  as  we  can  learn." 


v!     9 


;Q 


N 


T- 

to 


THE    NEW   AGRICULTURE.  157 

"  Had  there  been  any  sick  before  or  has  there  been  any  sick 
there  since  ?" 

"  No,  not  as  we  can  learn." 

"  How  many  acres  of  land  have  you  in  your  farm  ?" 

"  We  have  no  land  only  these  lots.     We  rent  pasture." 

"  How  many  acres  do  you  rent  ?" 

"  We  rent  about  three  acres  for  pasture  and  pay  sixty-five  dollars 
for  it." 

We  now  looked  at  the  sick  cow.  The  young  man  opened  her 
mouth,  and  upon  looking  in  we  found  the  mucous  membrane  of  the 
throat  and  nostrils  much  congested  and  somewhat  inflamed  with 
but  little  dreuling  or  slabbering.  She  had  no  cough  or  difficulty 
in  breathing.  She  did  not  get  up. 

We  then  went  to  see  the  cows  in  the  pasture.  This  pasture 
bordered  upon  a  swamp  next  to  the  river  and  was  about  twenty  to 
thirty  feet  wide  and  bounded  on  the  other  side  by  a  deep  swale 
which  was  again  bounded  by  a  swamp  over  half  a  mile  long.  This 
strip  of  land  was  divided  in  the  middle  by  an  embankment  or  dike 
which  kept  out  the  tide  from  the  marsh  land. 

Therefore  there  was  but  this  strip  of  land  about  fifteen  feet  wide 
and  a  little  over  a  half  mile  long  that  could  be  utilized  for  pasture. 
But  no  grass  was  to  be  seen,  save  a  few  roots  here  and  there,  and 
these  nearly  covered  by  the  droppings  from  the  cows.  They  have 
no  other  water  to  drink  except  that  from  the  swamp  which  was 
nearly  as  black  as  ink.  These  six  cows  were  put  out  there  after 
the  others  died  and  were  kept  there  night  and  day.  They  were 
placed  there  by  order  of  the  members  of  the  State  Board  of  Health 
as  above  (the  Feenfers  called  them  the  "cow-doctors")  and  quar- 
antined. They  are  fed  with  malt  grains,  etc.,  as  hereafter  ex- 
plained, drink  the  swamp  water  and  breathe  the  swamp  air. 

On  returning  to  the  stable  we  found  Mr.  Michael  Feenfer  the 


158  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

"farmer,"  had  reached  home.  He  was  a  very  pleasant  German  and 
showed  us  the  feed  which  they  called  "malt  grains  and  other  stuff." 
There  was  a  large  hogshead  standing  under  the  before  described 
cow-shed,  just  in  front  of  the  door  of  the  stable  which  wras  about 
two-thirds  full  of  malt  grains  and  other  material,  so  sour  and 
stinking  that  one  could  not  look  into  it  without  getting  sick.  On 
asking  the  old  man  "if  the  cows  liked  that  kind  of  food,"  he  said, 
"sometimes  they  acted  as  if  they  did  not  and  it  made  them  cough 
sometimes. 

We  inquired  as  to  how  much  milk  they  got  from  the  cows,  and 
he  said  they  got  one  hundred  and  twenty  quarts  from  the  thirteen, 
but  now  they  got  about  sixty-five  from  the  six.  "We  asked,  "  how 
much  do  you  get  from  the  sick  cow  at  a  milking  ?"  He  said  "  about 
&  pint,  and  that  they  fed  to  the  hogs. 

"  How  many  hogs  have  you  ?" 

"We  have  but  five  now,  two  di^d  last  fall." 

"What  was  the  matter  of  the  hogs  that  died?" 

"They  got  sick  just  like  the  cows,  the  five  are  pretty  well  now." 

Now  let  us  look  at  this  matter  clearly,  in  the  light  of  reason  and 
science  and  what  do  we  find  ?  Brutes  suffering.  Human  igno- 
rance. Legalized  cruelty  to  dumb  animals.  Woful  want  of  in- 
telligent investigation,  wilful  disregard  of  the  very  first  principles 
of  hygiene. 

It  hardly  seems  possible  that  any  one  with  the  slightest  degree  of 
intelligence  could  make  any  mistake  as  to  where  the  primary  cause 
of  all  this  sickness  laid.  Here  was  a  depression  or  hole  made  in 
the  ground  that  caught  all  the  surface  drainage  for  say  two  hun- 
dred feet  around  it.  All  the  wash-water  from  the  houses  drained 
into  it,  all  the  filth  from  the  stable  and  pig-pen  drained  into  it, 
every  rain  washed  through  the  hen-house  into  it.  There  was  ab- 
eolutelv  no  exit  for  the  water.  There  it  was,  dammed  up,  with  all 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  159 

the  excrement  and  vegetable  matter  that  could  be  imagined,  slowly 
putrifying  and  throwing  off  noxious  gasses  and  vapors.  The  cows 
were  confined  in  stables  that  had  no  means  of  ventilation  save  the 
door,  and  one  window,  opening  out  upon  this  pool  of  fiUh. 

The  food  they  got  came  from  this  hogshead  of  malt  grains  and 
other  garbage  in  a  high  state  of  fermentation.  This  reeking  mass 
of  stuff  was  given  to  support  life  and  make  milk.  The  smell  at  a 
distance  of  ten  feet  was  enough  to  turn  any  stomach. 

This  is  a  graphic  but  true  pen  picture  of  the  home  life  of  these  cows. 
Now  the  cows  are  sick  and  ailing.  They  must  be  taken  out  to  pas- 
ture. Mark  the  keen  sarcasm,  unintentional  it  is  true, — these  ani- 
mals gain  one  thing  by  the  change, — sunlight.  They  must  eat  of 
the  rank  marsh  grass  and  drink  of  the  fetid  marsh  water.  I  no- 
ticed fish  in  the  sluices;  but  in  this  marsh  water  there  are  none. 
It's  pretty  bad  water  that  a  catfish  won't  swim  in. 

Now  taking  the  character  of  their  food,  the  air  and  water  into 
consideration,  is  it  any  wonder  that  these  cattle  should  have  dis- 
eases of  the  throat  and  lungs  ?  It  is  a  wonder  that  they  have  any 
healthy  organs  at  all,  and  I  doubt  if  they  have. 

Mark  the  ignorant  way  in  which  the  State  Inspector  does  his 
work.  Did  he  do  as  we  did  ?  Did  he  look  for  a  cause  upon  the 
premises  ?  No,  he  contented  himself  by  asking  the  nearly  as  ig- 
norant "  farmer," — "  "What  made  your  cows  sick  ?"  and  upon  receiv- 
ing the  reply  caught  at  the  pretext, — Ah!  that  is  it,  you  got  them 
from  the  stock  yard.  Yes,  yes,  she  brought  the  infection  with  her. 

Upon  looking  up  the  matter  it  is  impossible  to  find  that  any  of 
the  stock  at  the  stock  yard  was  sick  with  this  disease  either  before 
or  after  this  cow  was  purchased.  Now,  is  it  likely  that  the  so- 
called  infection  was  brought  from  the  stock  yard?  Is  it  not  a 
hundred  times  more  likely  that  the  bad  air,  bad  water,  and  bad 
feed  at  the  farm  induced  this  disease  ? 


160  THE   NEW    AGRICULTURE. 

The  gases  that  rise  from  decaying  manure  are  exceedingly  poi- 
sonous. The  urine  from  stables  of  stock  contains  much  more 
putrescent  matter  than  manure  does,  and  is  therefore  more  dan- 
gerous. 

Now,  as  in  the  case  just  mentioned,  where  there  is  a  hollow  in 
the  stable-yard,  wrhich  hollow  is  not  drained,  it  becomes  the  recep- 
tacle for  all  the  waste  that  is  around  the  place.  The  drainage 
from  the  house,  pigpens,  and  stables  drain  into  it.  There  is  no 
outlet  and  it  must  remain  there,  only  to  find  an  exit  in  evaporation. 
The  animal  and  vegetable  matter  settles  down  in  it,  fermentation 
begins  and  is  hastened  by  the  heat  of  the  sun.  Now  when  evap- 
orating, the  particles  of  humidity  rise  from  the  bottom  of  this  pile 
of  corruption,  thus  producing  a  current  which  carries  with  it  the 
products  of  putrefaction.  These  products  are  sometimes  parasitic 
in  their  nature.  They  float  in  the  air,  settle  on  the  surface  of  the 
water,  and  sift  into  the  food.  When  taken  into  the  lungs  by  in- 
spiration, they  find  resting  places  in  the  membranes,  where  with 
an  even  temperature  of  sufficient  height  to  bring  them  to  active 
life  disease  results.  The  same  thing  occurs  when  taken  into  the 
stomach  in  food  and  drink.  In  the  first  instance  they  cause  dis- 
eases of  the  mouth,  throat  and  lungs,  in  the  latter,  their  effects  are 
noted  in  derangement  of  the  stomach  and  bowels. 

Should  we  be  asked  whether  there  is  any  way  of  avoiding  this 
condition  of  affairs,  we  unhesitatingly  would  point  you  out  the 
real  reason  for  all  the  trouble,  and  at  the  same  time  suggest  the 
cure.  First  comes,  fermentation,  then  decomposition,  the  produc- 
tion of  fungi  in  all  its  forms,  and  of  course  this  must  be  followed 
by  disease. 

Now  to  my  mind  Nature  intended  that  the  ground  should  have 
air  to  breathe  and  water  to  drink,  just  the  same  as  animals.  It 
needs  these,  not  so  much  for  supplying  nutriment  to  vegetation,  as 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  161 

it  does  to  carry  on  the  great  work  of  assimilation  and  purification. 
Is  it  not  true  that  all  decomposition  and  filth  is  converted  into  in- 
nocuous material  in  nature's  laboratory  ?  And  if  so,  is  it  not  di- 
rectly caused  by  fermentation  and  oxidation  ?  It  is  burnt  and  cal- 
cined into  purity.  The  earth  being  loose  and  porous,  the  air  forces 
its  way  into  the  crevices,  and  the  water  passes  through  it  from 
above,  each,  especially  the  air,  supplying  fuel  to  carry  on  the  work 
of  purification. 

We  will  suppose  that  the  water  conies  to  a  strata  that  is  imper- 
vious to  its  onward  course.  What  happens?  Simply  this, — it 
dams  up  slowly,  inch  by  inch,  forcing  out  the  air  as  it  goes.  All 
motion  and  circulation  is  stopped.  Fermentation  and  decomposi- 
tion soon  begin.  The  earth  is  drowned  out — suffocated, — dead  for 
want  of  air.  How  is  this  ?  Water  is  good  for  the  ground  ?  Yes, 
but  not  in  this  way,  the  water  must  be  moving  constantly.  There 
must  be  a  current  of  air  and  water  and  not  too  much  or  too  little 
of  the  latter.  , 

This  very  much  desired  result  can  very  readily  be  obtained  by 
seeking  a  water  level  and  proper  drainage  and  full  control  of  the 
water  so  that  air  can  follow  and  leaven  through  the  earth;  so  also, 
that  God's  most  blessed  earth  reviver — rain  and  the  dews — may  cir- 
culate through  it,  so  that  the  old  water  may  not  for  an  instant 
rest  and  start  fermentation,  always  on  and  away,  so  that  there 
may  be  plenty  of  oxygen  coming  down  into  its  pores,  seeking  and 
burning  out  all  filth  and  corruption.  To  sum  up  concisely: 

Use  Cole's  system  of  capillary  irrigation  as  patented  by  him. 
Thus  you  get  clear  of  all  filth  and  corruption  that  is  found  in  these 
miserable  cesspools, — they  never  form. 

You  filter  all  water  wherever  it  strikes  the  soil  from  the  clouds 
and  other  places  and  localities.  You  convert  even  what  is  so  much 
contaminated  with  organic  matter  and  other  impurities  into  pure 


162  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

water  and  hold  it  back  in  time  of  over  supply,  heavy  rainfalls  and 
melting  snows,  for  the  use  of  the  soil  and  vegetation  as  the  wants 
of  each  may  require. 

Should  this  system  be  adopted  by  farmers  and  dairy -men  such 
diseases  as  the  so-called  "  contagious  pleuro-pneumonia"  and  other 
fatal  diseases  among  stock  will  be  wholly  unknown,  only  adding 
ventilation  and  stopping  the  feeding  of  garbage  and  decayed  and 
fermented  foods  and  fungi. 

On  many  of  the  smaller  farms  grass  or  hay  is  raised  and  stored 
away  without  careful  treatment.  Fresh  manure  is  frequently 
hauled  from  city  stables,  and  spread  over  land  to  ferment  and  rot. 
Upon  examination,  the  class  of  lands  thus  treated,  are  found  cov- 
ered with  fungi  in  the  shape  of  devils-bread,  puff-ball,  toadstools 
and  others  of  different  names.  Bone  dust  and  other  fertilizers  are 
also  used.  Then  come  the  wet  spells,  and  the  dry  spells,  and  the 
hot  spells,  which  together  keep  up  a  continual  fermentation  in  the 
soil  about  the  roots  of  crops  and  grasses.  We  find  in  many  sec- 
tions of  the  country,  places  where  they  raise  stock,  particularly 
hogs.  These  animals  are  turned  into  the  orchards  in  the  fall  or 
late  summer,  and  permitted  to  eat  of  the  fallen  fruit.  They  are 
therefore  allowed  to  eat  freely  of  rotten  and  fungi-covered  food, 
and,  again,  are  fed  upon  slops,  swill  and  all  manners  of  filth.  As 
a  consequence,  we  hear  from  many  parts  of  the  country  of  hog 
cholera.  In  all  these  cases  our  lawmakers,  authorities,  and  socie- 
ties for  the  prevention  of  cruelty  to  animals,  have  never  been 
known  to  open  their  mouths  against  this  worst  of  all  cruelties  to 
the  dumb  animals.  Their  food  is  fed  them  only  to  their  destruc- 
tion. That  which  should  nourish  poisons.  Bad  food,  bad  water, 
and  bad  air  alike,  contribute  to  their  destruction.  "While  poisoned 
food  is  not  only  chargeable  to  fungi,  there  is  also  the  decaying  ve- 
getables in  our  cellars  and  surroundings,  constantly  contamina- 


THE  NEW  AGRICULTURE.  163 

ting  and  poisoning  the  air  with  its  foulness  which  we  are  obliged 
to  breathe.  Thus  we  have  malaria  as  it  is  called.  This  without  doubt 
conies  from  decaying  vegetable  matter,  whether  it  be  from  sewers, 
streets,  swamps,  or  from  our  own  vegetable  stores,  laid  away  for 
winter  use.  The  custom  of  spreading  fresh  manure  over  our  lands 
to  rot  and  ferment,  throwing  off  noxious  gasses,  is  another  fruitful 
cause  of  malaria. 

Fungi — its  action  on  vegetation. 

While  I  have  divided  the  subject  into  three  heads  for  the  better 
handling  of  it,  yet  are  they  so  closely  allied  in  their  effects  one 
upon  the  other,  as  to  admit  of  really  very  little  difference.  Under 
this  last  head,  we  come  to  a  field  exceedingly  vast,  and  one  over 
which,  at  the  best,  can  take  but  a  cursory  glance.  Even  had  I  the 
time  to  devote  to  it,  I  fear  it  to  be  too  great  in  extent  to  go  into  it 
in  detail.  That  it  is  a  field  abounding  in  speculation,  yet  fraught 
with  vast  importance  no  one  can  deny.  It  is  of  so  much  import- 
ance as  to  cause  me  to  hesitate  at  beginning,  as  to  whether  I  had 
not  better  put  it  first  in  order,  instead  of  last,  Under  this  will  be 
found  the  fountain  head  of  all  the  trouble. 

The  dry  rot  has  destroyed,  without  doubt,  many  thousands  of 
dollars  worth  of  valuable  timber.  We  know  that  in  turning  the 
soil,  we  frequently  find  a  stringy,  gummy  mass  of  fungi,  that  runs 
its  tentacle  like  arms  in  every  direction  like  those  of  the  cuttle  fish. 
This  it  has  been  proved  interferes  sadly  with  the  growth  of  plants, 
grasses  and  trees.  Almost  all  of  the  cereals  and  grasses  suffer 
from  fungi  in  some  shape.  Rust,  smut,  mildew  and  caries  are 
nearly  always  present. 

Now  is  there  any  remedy  ?  Is  there  any  way  to  prevent  this 
constant  promotion,  production,  and  spread  of  disease  bearing 
fungi  ? 

You  may  remember,  in   the   last  of  June,  1883,  while  I  was  in 


164  THE  NEW  AGRICULTURE. 

"Wellsville,  that  I  was  invited  in  company  with  the  Hon.  T.  L.  Min- 
ier,  Hon.  S.  L.  Taber,  Hon.  John  H.  Selkreg  and  others,  to  dine 
with  you  at  your  home  on  the  hillside.  At  your  table,  we  were 
much  astonished  to  see  the  most  delicious  fresh  peas  just  picked 
from  the  vines,  and  the  finest  strawberries  that  all  acknowledged 
ever  having  seen.  The  question  was  asked  : 

"  "Where  do  you  get  such  fine  peas  ?  "  Your  answer  was  :  "  they 
•were  picked  from  my  own  garden." 

"Where  do  you  get  such  berries?" 

"  They  are  also  picked  from  my  own  garden." 

"  Come  now,  Mr.  Cole,  that  will  never  do,"  I  said,  "  I  was  raised 
in  Allegany  County.  This  is  too  early  in  the  season  for  either 
peas  or  strawberries.  Besides,  Allegany  never  produced  such  peas 
and  berries  as  these." 

Tour  reply  was,  that  this  was  the  fruit  of  your  system  of  under- 
ground irrigation.  You  then  explained  to  us  your  system  of 
sinking  troughs  in  the  ground,  and  taking  up  the  water  as  it  fell, 
and  holding  it  back,  to  supply  moisture  to  vegetation  as  it  was 
required.  This  was  entirely  a  new  feature  to  us  all,  and  after 
dinner,  we  repaired  to  your  garden,  a  lot  on  the.  hillside,  where 
you  explained  to  us  your  system  in  detail.  The  more  I  examined, 
the  more  I  was  astonished  to  find  every  bush,  twig,  stalk,  tree  and 
fruit  perfectly  clean  and  healthy.  No  rust  or  fungi  of  any  kind 
whatsoever  was  to  be  found.  You  showed  us  a  stream  of  water 
coming  from  the  trenches,  a  continuous,  bright  and  sparkling 
brook,  and  yet,  it  was  a  dry  time  ;  quite  a  drouth.  But  in  spite 
of  all  this,  we  found  a  stream  of  water  coming  from  your  hillside 
constantly,  with  no  spring  to  feed  it,  only  coming  from  the  stored 
up  rains  and  dews  that  fell,  caught  up  and  garnered  by  these 
troughs,  furnishing  a  constant  vapor  to  the  roots  of  your  vegeta- 
bles and  plants,  keeping  them  in  uniform  condition  of  moisture  ; 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  165 

never  too  wet,  never  too  dry.  This  system  made  a  very  deep  im- 
pression upon  me,  and  upon  returning  home  and  thinking  the  mat- 
ter over,  you  will  remember  I  wrote  you  a  letter,  suggesting  that 
by  the  use  of  natural  gas  (which  must  take  the  place  of  coal  and 
wood  for  heating  purposes)  to  heat  the  water  in  the  Fall  and 
Spring,  and  running  steam  pipes  through  the  troughs,  (or  dropping 
the  warm  water  into  them)  to  keep  the  water  warm,  you  might  raise 
all  kinds  of  produce,  and  as  -  it  were,  do  away  with  winter.  You 
could  do,  as  I  found  while  in  Europe  was  done  there,  produce  the 
finest  pineapples  by  use  of  this  warm  water  system,  thus  doing 
away  with  expensive  hot  houses.  In  this  letter  I  also  suggested, 
that,  where  you  wished  to  raise  tropical  fruits,  you  could  throw  a 
canvass  over  the  space,  to  keep  off  the  winds  and  snows.  All  this 
was  in  the  most  part  a  joke,  as  applied  to  Allegany,  but  upon  re- 
ceiving your  reply,  I  was  astounded  to  read  that  you  had  already 
obtained  a  patent  covering  these  points. 

On  the  second  day  of  July  last,  I  was  again  in  Wellsville.  In  pass- 
ing through  the  streets,  I  noticed  on  the  corner  baskets  of  straw- 
berries; some  were  small,  diseased  looking  berries,  but  alongside 
of  them  were  luscious  ones,  nearly  as  large  as  peaches.  Said  I : 

"  How  much  are  your  strawberries  ?  " 

"  These  are  sold  at  thirteen  cents  ;  and  these  at  twenty-five  a 
quart,"  was  the  answer  made  by  the  vender. 

"  But  why  should  there  be  such  a  difference  in  price  ? "  I 
inquired. 

"  "Why  !  these  are  Cole's  berries." 

"  Cole's  berries !  What  do  you  mean  by  Cole's  berries  ?  " 

"  Why !  they  are  raised  here  in  town,  by  Mr.  Cole." 

"  Who  is  Mr.  Cole  ?  " 

"  What !  don't  you  know  A.  N.  Cole  ?  " 

"  Oh !  yes  ;  he  has  been  termed  the  father  of    the   Republican 


166  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

party.  So  lie  raised  these  berries  here  in  town.  Well,  I  do  know 
A.  N.  Cole,  and  I  think  he  has  succeeded  in  raising  better  straw- 
berries than  children,  for  let  me  tell  you,  that  his  Republican 
children  have  given  us  Democrats  a  mighty  sight  of  trouble." 

"  Yes,  sir  ;  that  is  so.  He  generally  succeeds  with  anything  he 
undertakes." 

"  How  many  of  those  berries  does  it  take  to  make  a  quart " 

"  About  twenty  to  thirty  ;  I  suppose  an  average  of  twenty-five 
would  cover  it." 

"  Why !  you  had  better  sell  them  for  a  cent  apiece." 

"  Well,  they  sell  at  that  as  fast  as  lightning.  They  don't  stay  on 
hand  long." 

Of  course  I  knew  whose  berries  they  were,  as  soon  as  I  saw 
them.  It  was  only  a  whim  of  mine  to  interview  the  grocery- 
man. 

The  next  day  a  party  of  us  were  visiting  your  grounds,  and  you 
may  well  remember  the  liberties  taken  by  me  at  that  time.  I  then 
had  with  me  a  powerful  glass,  and  I  was  determined  to  investigate 
matters  thoroughly.  I  examined  the  roots,  leaves,  stalks  and  ber- 
ries of  your  strawberry  vines.  I  dissected  and  investigated  them 
in  every  imaginable  way,  as  also  the  pea  vines,  cauliflower,  cabbage, 
and  in  fact  all  vegetables  and  vegetation  within  your  grounds  ; 
and  as  I  told  you  at  that  time,  I  did  not  find  a  single  exception, 
wrherein  a  plant  was  not  perfectly  clean  and  healthy.  No  fungi  to 
be  found  anywhere.  Root,  stalk,  leaf,  twig  and  fruit  all  in  perfect 
health,  and  absolutely  free  from  fungus  or  parasites.  Strawber- 
ries larger  than  plums  ;  and  everything  in  like  proportion.  Even 
the  timothy  and  other  grasses  seemed  brighter,  fresher  and  more 
luxuriant. 

Of  course,  I  enquired  into  the  expense  per  acre  of  such  a  system, 
which  I  cannot  pretend  to  give  from  memory;  I  will  leave  that  to 


THE   NEW  AGRICULTURE.  167 

you.  But  allow  me  to  say,  that  if  all  lands  were,  in  place  of  under- 
draining  and  subsoiling,  treated  as  you  do  yours;  deep  trenches 
broad  and  wide,  filled  with  stones,  and  covered  with  soil  as  yours 
are;  fertilized  with  a  compost  as  you  prepare  it;  having  it  fully 
assimilated  before  using — I  say,  if  all  this  could  be  done,  then, 
and  not  till  then,  can  we  do  away  with  this  creation,  cultivation 
and  dissemination  of  poisonous  fungi,  which,  as  has  been  shown, 
is  working  such  sad  disaster  and  death  to  the  whole  animal  and 

v 

vegetable  world. 

A  few  pages  back  I  asked  the  question,  whether  the  people  were 
not  being  punished  for  the  bad  treatment  their  stock  wTas  receiv- 
ing. Now  let  us  see  if  they  are  not.  "We  spread  out  over  our  fields 
the  manure  coming  from  these  animals.  If  they  happen  to  have 
any  disease,  their  excrement  is  sure  to  have  more  or  less  germs  in 
it  of  the  same  disease.  The  manure  lies  upon  the  ground,  and  is 
subjected  to  the  action  of  the  wet  and  heat,  and  the  chemical  influ- 
ence is  imparted  to  the  soil.  Now  the  soil  is  too  wet,  now  to  dry; 
there  is  no  happy  medium.  At  one  time  it  is  a  mass  of  mud,  at 
others  it  is  baked  like  a  brick.  There  is  no  golden  mean.  At  all 
events,  there  is  a  constant  state  of  fermentation  going  on.  If  the 
materials  employed  could  be  completely  rotted,  there  would  prob- 
ably not  be  so  much  harm  done ;  but  where  you  have  vegetable 
matter  only  partly  rotted,  you  are  positively  sure  to  produce  fungi. 
This  again  fastens  on  the  grasses  and  other  products,  which  are  in 
turn,  fed  to  man  and  stock.  Can  any  sane  man  for  an  instant 
doubt,  that  this  continuous  production  and  consumption  of  fungi,  is 
not  bound  to  produce  the  most  disastrous  results.  Must  this  dis- 
ease producing  system  go  on  forever  in  the  same  channel  ?  Must 
no  one  raise  the  voice  of  warning,  and  call  attention  to  it  ?  Must 
no  one  point  with  pregnant  finger  to  the  signs  of  its  fell  work  ? 
Are  not  the  facts  spread  out  that  "  he  who  runs  may  read?"  Oh! 


168  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

farmers  and  truckers,  if  you  will  not  be  warned  for  humanity's 
sake,  take  heed  and  notice  the  conversation  had  between  myself 
and  the  groceryman.  The  price  of  the  healthy  berries  was  twice 
that  of  the  poor  ones.  If  the  good  of  mankind  will  not  move  you 
to  pity  and  a  change  of  method,  let  your  pockets  plead  with  you. 
Try  the  experiment,  as  tried  at  the  •'  Home  on  the  Hillside,"  and 
see  if  your  wallets  will  not  be  considerably  distended,  and  the  lives 
and  health  of  yourselves  and  families  preserved  and  lengthened. 

Yours  Truly,  C.  E.  EAKLEY. 

Such  cities  as  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  Syracuse,  Elmira,  and  Bingham- 
ton,  in  N.  Y.,  Paterson,  N.  J.,  Wilmington,  Del.,  and  others  we  might 
mention  are  situated  on  what  are  called  river  bottoms,  and  yet,  so 
far  above  high  water  mark,  as  to  make  drainage  into  rivers  not 
only  easy,  but  perfect.  "Whether,  for  the  systems  of  sewerage  al- 
ready arranged,  our  methods  could  be  substituted  we  cannot  at 
present  decide,  but  have  no  doubt  of  its  practicability.  That  the 
municipal  authorities  of  towns  and  cities  thus  located,  could  be  in- 
duced to  make  the  change,  is  doubtful.  In  all  portions  of  Europe, 
beneath  the  dwellings  in  cities,  towns  and  villages,  on  the  grounds 
of  kings  and  nobility,  and  those  of  the  peasant  and  the  pauper, 
the  damps  and  decays  generative  of  disease,  bringing  death  be- 
fore its  time,  are  found.  The  same  is  relatively  true  of  the  older 
cities  of  our  own  country.  But  younger  cities  and  towns  are  in- 
creasing in  population,  and  new  ones  continually  developing,  and 
with  these  at  least,  an  effort  should  be  made  to  obtain  a  pure  water 
supply.  The  fact  is  distressing  and  astonishing  that  such  cities 
as  St.  Paul,  Detroit  and  thousands  of  others,  developed  and  devel- 
oping in  different  portions  of  our  country,  should  have  no  provi- 
sion made  for  conserving  the  rains  and  snows  falling  upon  the 
roofs  of  dwellings,  barns,  stables  and  other  structures,  or  running 
off  from  the  lawns,  gardens  and  grounds  of  the  people. 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  169 

Keeping  watch  of  the  measures  proposed  and  methods  being 
adopted  to  purify  the  waters,  and  add  sufficiently  to  the  supply  of 
Croton  to  furnish  the  City  of  New  York  with  at  least  five  times  the 
present  amount  of  good  drinking  water,  we  knew  to  a  mathematical 
certainty  that  it  could  be  accomplished  if  the  water  that  falls  annu- 
ally in  the  form  of  rains,  dews  and  snows  was  preserved.  We 
also  knew  full  well  that  the  possibilities  of  our  system  were  not 
reached  when,  nearly  two  years  ago,  the  Hon.  Warner  Miller,  hav- 
ing looked  somewhat  into  this  question  of  saving,  purifying  and 
utilizing  these  waters  remarked  as  follows: 

"  I  confess  to  being  unprepared  for  your  claims,  Mr.  Cole,  and  yet, 
if  what  you  anticipate  can  be  only  partially  realized,  the  State  of 
New  York  alone,  is  capable  of  sustaining  a  population  of  one  hun- 
dred millions." 

The  Senator  alluded  more  particularly  to  Herkimer  County  and 
the  Mohawk  River,  great,  if  not  the  greatest  among  counties,  and 
grand  among  the  grandest  of  our  rivers,  now  moving  turbidly  on, 
its  waters  as  unlike  those  of  an  hundred  years  ago  as  clay  is  unlike 
crystal.  What  is  true  of  the  Mohawk,  is  equally  true  as  applied 
to  nearly  all  the  rivers  of  the  older  settled  portions  of  our  country. 
The  waters  of  these  are  filled  with  roil  for  a  large  portion  of  the 
year,  and  are  always  polluted;  our  springs  are  dried  up,  and  when 
not  wholly  so,  their  waters  mix  and  mingle  with  drains  in  which 
death  and  decay  widespread  and  prevailing,  are  borne  by  rains 
into  the  streams  supplying  towns  and  cities  with  water  for  cooking 
and  drinking  purposes. 

We  have  known  for  years,  that,  unless  means  are  provided  for 
fitting  and  rendering  the  waters  of  these  rivers  and  their  tribut- 
aries pure,  fungus,  deadliest  enemy  of  vegetable  and  animal  life, 
would  go  on  with  its  work  of  decimation  and  death,  and  not  only 
the  fish  would  die  out  and  disappear,  but  disease  everywhere 


170  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

would  increase,  and  our  people,  more  especially  those  dwelling  in 
large  towns  and  cities,  would  not  live  out  half  the  days  allotted  to 
man.  Equally  well  had  we  become  satisfied  that  the  stagnation  of 
the  waters  could  be  provided  against  and  by  passing  them  through 
soils,  they  could  be  purified  and  rendered  crystal  clear  and  cool; 
kept  from  freezing  in  winter  and  held  sufficiently  cool  in  summer, 
to  be  more  grateful  and  healthful  than  ice  water. 


CHAPTER  VL 


RECLAIMING   THE    GREAT   AMERICAN    DESERT. 


Months  ago  an  article  appeared  in  the  Scientific  American  from 
the  pen  of  Professor  John  Le  Conte,  on  the  subject  of  the  arid 
regions  of  our  country,  commonly  called  the  Great  American 
desert.  Not  possessing  a  file  of  the  paper  and  having  preserved 
only  a  mere  scrap  of  this  article,  we  are  unable  to  quote  more  than 
the  following: 

"  A  vast  treeless  region,  stretching  away  from  the  eastern  base 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  the  great  plains,  plateaus  and  basins 
lying  west  of  the  same  range,  and  constituting  the  arid  region, 
embracing  more  than  one  third  of  the  entire  area  within  the  terri- 
torial boundaries  of  the  American  Union." 

After  giving  a  description  of  this  vast  desert,  Professor  Le  Conte 
proceeds  to  show  such  conditions  existing  as  to  make  the  lauds  of 
this  region  only  productive  by  means  of  irrigation,  and  gives  it  as 
his  opinion  that,  were  every  spring,  rill,  rivulet  and  lake  of  this 
entire  region  made  available,  not  more  than  three  per  cent  of  the 
desert  could  be  reclaimed.  We  had  solved  at  the  time  this  article 
came  under  our  eye  the  problem  of  the  conservation  of  the  waters, 
and  were  not,  in  any  degree,  disheartened  on  account  of  this 
gloomy  picture,  but  rather  greatly  encouraged  by  the  fact  that  the 
Professor  re-enforced  our  previous  knowledge  by  his  account  of 
the  great  water  preserves  of  this  section — the  ices  and  snows  lying 


172  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

upon  the  summits  of  the  mountains  or  within  the  great  basins, 
during  most  of  the  summer  period  of  each  year.  Often  had  our 
mind  dwelt  upon  the  wastes  of  war,  and  after  finding  out  the  way 
of  the  waters,  we  frequently  reverted  to  the  fact  that,  if  the  money 
spent  during  the  last  half  century  in  the  support  of  armies  and 
n,avies,  and  the  prosecution  of  wars,  had  been  diverted  to  construct- 
ing a  canal  along  the  northern  incline  of  the  African  Continent, 
dropping  the  waters  coming  of  the  melting  of  snows  on  the  Mount- 
ains of  the  Moon  down  upon  the  Sahara,  this  great  desert  of  Africa 
might  have  been  made  to  blossom  as  the  rose. 

In  our  earliest  childhood  we  noted  that  the  spring  smoked  in  mid- 
winter, and  that  evaporation  went  on  amid  frosts.  We  had  dug 
earth  worms  for  fishing  in  the  neighborhood  of  springs  when  the 
ground  was  still  frozen  only  a  few  feet  aw-ay,  and  all  through  life 
we  had  kept  our  eye  on  the  grass  green  growing  as  the  snows  of 
winter  melted  about  the  spring.  Dakota's  great  wheat  fields,  with 
their  deep  laid  foundations  of  frost,  had  not  escaped  attention,  and 
the  warm  suns  of  March  and  April  shining  upon  these  fields  and 
bringing  early  germination  and  steady  growth  until  harvest  time, 
told  the  story  of  the  waters  beneath  at  spring  water  temperature. 
Nor  had  the  conditions  along  the  Alps  and  Appenines  escaped  our 
attention,  where,  underlying  in  pockets  of  soil,  the  water  coming  of 
melting  snows,  furnished  not  only  moisture  for  the  vine,  but  inspir- 
ation to  its  growth.  Authentic  information  had  been  received  of 
such  an  increase  of  production  and  improvement  in  flavor  of  the 
fruit  of  the  vine,  as  to  convince  us  that  the  same  simple  methods 
might  be  made  use  of  to  transform  the  arid  regions  of  our  own 
country  into  those  of  boundless  fertility  and  wealth. 

That  our  great  desert  is  a  treeless  region,  or  one  nearly  so,  is 
true,  nor  can  it  ever  be  otherwise  until  the  time  shall  come  for 
husbanding  ihe  waters,  and  making  use  of  them  in  a  way  to  pre- 


THE   NEW    AGRICULTURE.  173 

vent  penetration  of  the  frost  to  the  depth  to  which  they  descend 
under  existing  conditions.  That  the  reserve  coming  of  melting 
ices  and  snows  would  prove  efficient  for  this  purpose  if  halted, 
held  back  and  permitted  to  find  their  wray  into  the  valleys  through 
the  soils  of  this  vast  region,  rather  than  over  and  along  them  as 
hitherto,  there  is  no  doubt  in  our  mind.  Deep  trenching  would 
doubtless  become  necessary,  since  to  drop  the  waters  below  the 
frost  line  it  would  perhaps  become  imperative  to  sink  the  trenches 
to  a  depth  of  five  or  six  feet.  That  this  work  will  be  done  at  a 
comparatively  early  day  we  have  but  little  doubt.  A  few  acres 
deep  trenched  upon  the  treeless  mountain  sides  of  Montana,  Da- 
kota or  Wyoming,  would  tell  the  story.  In  this  way,  and  this  only, 
can  forest  and  fruit  trees  be  grown  and  the  prairies,  plains,  valleys 
and  mountain  sides  be  clothed  with  that  wilderness  of  wealth  found 
primeval  in  the  Atlantic  regions,  and  indispensable  to  permanent 
prosperity. 

But  here  comes  in  the  question,  who  shall  begin  the  work,  or, 
once  begun,  by  whom  or  by  what  means  shall  it  be  pushed  forward  ? 
That  the  United  States  Government,  cooperated  with  and  aided 
by  great  railroad  companies,  to  which  grants  have  been  made  of 
lands  so  extensive  as  to  appear  to  the  ordinary  observer  acts  of 
prodigality,  should  enter  at  once  upon  the  work  of  reclaiming  the 
desert,  is  so  evident  as  to  scarcely  call  for  argument.  In  Mr. 
Stewart's  book,  page  166,  from  which  we  again  quote,  is  found  the 
following: 

"  Irrigation  of  land  is  an  art  that  has  existed  for  many  centuries 
previous  to  any  authentic  written  history.  The  traditions  of  the 
Chinese  people  are  very  ancient,  and  irrigation  is  mentioned  in 
their  earliest  history,  as  extensively  practiced.  In  Egypt,  Syria, 
and  the  ancient  kingdoms  of  Eastern  Asia,  agriculture  depended 
almost  wholly  upon  irrigation,  and  still  so  depends  in  these  (oun- 


174  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

tries,  where  the   people    have  survived  the  political  changes  of 
thousands  of  years. 

"The  irrigation  of  gardens,  vineyards,  and  fields,  is  frequently 
referred  to  in  the  Scriptures;  one  of  the  earliest  books  speaks  of 
it,  and  one  of  the  prophets  refers  to  '  furrows  of  the  plantation.' 
And  so  agriculture  has  continued  to  the  present  day,  the  necessi- 
ties of  the  majority  of  cultivators  of  the  soil  in  the  Eastern  Hemis- 
phere, and  the  natural  opportunities  possessed  by  them,  continu- 
ing to  render  the  system  vital  to  their  existence.  When  the  Span- 
iards occupied  the  new  found  continent,  they  introduced  their  sys- 
tem of  irrigation  wherever  the  dryness  of  the  climate  demanded  it. 

"In  Chili,  Peru,  Central  America  and  Mexico,  the  canals  and 
ditches  made  by  the  early  Spanish  settlers  remain,  and  many  are 
still  in  use.  The  systems  adopted  in  California,  Texas,  New  Mex- 
ico and  Colorado  are  mainly  copied  from  the  ancient  models.  It 
is  hardly  necessary  to  say  that  these  models  are  not  of  the  best 
construction,  nor  at  all  satisfactory  to  the  engineer  of  the  present 
day,  but  they  are  cheap  and  easy  of  construction.  The  settlement 
of  the  drier  regions  of  our  territory,  adds  another  instance  to  those 
of  past  history  of  the  reclamation  of  the  deserts  by  irrigation.  It 
will  be  of  interest  to  glance  over  what  has  already  been  done  in 
this  wray,  before  considering  possibilities  of  the  future.  The  actual 
history  of  irrigation  in  the  United  States  begins  with  the  construc- 
tion of  the  Pacific  railroads.  In  the  course  of  a  few  years,  a  great 
impetus  was  given  to  the  settlement  of  lands  adjacent  to  the  rivers, 
and  which  could  be  brought  under  irrigation,  and  several  exten- 
sive works  were  constructed." 

Here  follows  an  enumeration  of  many  canals  of  great  length, 
cost  and  capacity,  and  their  endless  adjuncts,  by  which  thousands 
of  acres  have  been,  in  the  aggregate,  reclaimed,  and  from  having 
been  an  utter  waste  made  more  productive  than  an  equal  area  in 


THE   NEW   AGEICULTUBE.  175 

regions  of  rainfall.  What  is  more  marvelous  is  the  fact,  that  what 
has  been  accomplished  in  this  direction  has  been  done  by  individ- 
ual and  corporate  enterprise.  That  companies  constructing  these 
works  have  made  money  is  true  in  a  majority  of  instances,  and 
happy  should  everybody  be  on  account  of  it.  The  corporations 
and  individuals  who  have  had  the  fortitude  to  act  as  pioneers,  have 
been  the  greatest  of  benefactors.  Even  Brigham  Young  and  his 
polygamous  church  of  Latter  Day  Saints,  have  not  proven  an  un- 
mitigated scourge.  Great  good  has  come  out  of  a  Nazareth, 
which,  in  certain  of  its  aspects,  presents  the  features  of  the  Sodom 
and  Gomorrah  of  the  present  age.  Merest  beginning  has  however 
been  made. 

Our  "  New  Agriculture  "  dates  not  only  a  new  era  in  irrigation,. 
but  is  sure  to  date  one  equally  new  in  government  policies.  The 
old  saw  "  Uncle  Sam  is  rich  enough  to  give  us  all  a  farm,"  is  in  all 
probability  soon  to  be  verified  in  a  way,  which  scarcely  one  in  a 
million  of  the  American  people  have  yet  dreamed.  While  kings 
and  nobles  of  the  Old  World  are  quite  generally  looking  to  war  as 
a  means  of  employment  for  their  pauper  classes,  and  the  lazaroni 
seem  equally  inclined  to  prefer  the  chances  of  death  on  battle 
fields  and  in  camps,  to  lives  of  toil  without  sufficient  remuneration 
to  make  life  worth  the  living,  an  opportunity  presents  itself  to  our 
government  and  people  to  do  that  which  will  give  employment  and 
bring  to  the  present  and  future  generations  more  of  real  wealth 
than  all  the  mines  of  the  earth  contain. 

The  unthinking  citizen  and  the  conscienceless  demagogue  alike, 
have  been  clamoring  of  late  for  acts  of  practical  confiscation  of 
the  lands  granted  to  companies  to  aid  in  construction  of  lines  of 
railway  across  the  continent.  We  do  not  hesitate  to  say  that  for- 
feiture of  some  of  the  grants  should  be  made.  This  is  never- 
theless the  exception  to  that  rule  of  law  and  logic  which  for- 


176  THE  NEW  AGKICULTURE. 

bids  government  from  so  far  disregarding  its  own  deliberate 
act,  as  to  hold  individuals  and  corporations  to  arbitrary  com- 
pliance with  the  letter  of  acts  under  which  grants  have  been 
made.  The  railroad  company,  dependent  upon  the  sale  of  its  lands 
and  disposition  of  its  stocks  and  bonds,  is  hardly  dealt  by  when 
government,  from  having  been  its  patron  and  promoter,  turns 
about  and  becomes  a  bear  to  destroy  its  credit  and  bring  upon  its 
ward  distress  and  disaster  akin  to  ruin. 

That  our  government  can  make  millions  of  dollars  for  the  people, 
by  entering  upon  a  system  of  reclamation  covering  the  more  hope- 
ful portions  of  its  desert  lands,  is  so  manifest,  as  to  make  argument 
to  prove  it  unnecessary.  No  longer  ago  than  1873,  under  an  act  of 
Congress,  approved  March  3rd  of  that  year,  a  commission  was 
organized  to  examine  the  great  valleys  of  California,  with  refer- 
ence to  construction  of  a  system  of  irrigation.  The  report  of  this 
commission  will  be  found  in  the  yearly  volume  of  the  Department 
of  Agriculture  for  1874.  Commenting  on  this  report  Mr.  Stewart 
remarks  : 

"  The  conclusions  reached  may  be  seriously  questioned  in  many 
points,  but  on  the  whole  are,  as  might  have  been  expected,  favor- 
able, both  to  the  profitableness  and  feasibility  of  irrigation  works, 
and  to  the  interference  of  the  national  and  state  governments, 
and  their  control  over  the  distribution  of  the  water." 

Commenting  further,  Mr.  Stewart  proceeds  to  say  : 

"  By  no  other  authority  could  the  conflicting  interests  of  miners, 
agriculturists  and  owners  of  lands  to  be  injured  or  benefited  by 
the  enterprise,  be  properly  reconciled.  In  Europe,  the  supreme 
control  is  exercised  by,  and  the  ownership  of  the  water  vested  in, 
the  State.  The  French  government  in  1669,  by  special  law,  re- 
served the  ownership  of  all  rivers  and  streams,  and  grants  conces- 
sions to  irrigating  companies  under  certain  restrictions.  In  Italy, 


.       THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  177 

the  State  lias  always  exercised  this  ownership,  and  in  Venice  the 
springs  and  even  the  rainfall,  so  far  as  it  can  be  stored  in  res- 
ervoirs, have  been  held  to  be  public  property.  In  India,  the 
springs  and  rainfall  are  accumulated  in  reservoirs  controlled  by 
the  government,  and  the  river  systems  are  also  owned  by  it.  Not 
only  this,  but  the  details  of  the  distribution  of  the  water  are  also 
directed  by  government  officials.  This  is  made  necessary,  however, 
by  the  utter  incapacity  of  the  ignorant  inhabitants  to  manage  any- 
thing for  themselves  that  calls  for  more  than  a  very  low  degree 
of  intelligence.  Lest,  however,  it  might  be  urged  that  govern- 
ment ownership  and  supervision  is  likely  to  lead  to  failure,  the 
actual  results  attained  in  India  may  be  very  properly  here  cited. 
During  recent  years,  the  British  government  has  spent  about  sev- 
enty millions  of  dollars,  in  irrigating  works,  and  others  are  in 
progress  of  construction  which  will  require  half  as  much  more  to 
complete  them.  In  almost  every  instance,  the  investment  has 
been  profitably  and  in  some  cases  enormously  so,  both  in  the  way 
of  water  rent,  and  in  service  to  the  cultivators  of  the  soil.  The 
total  annual  revenue  to  the  government  from  the  works  is  more 
than  five  millions  of  dollars,  or  seven  and  three-fourths  per  cent  on 
the  cost." 

And  so  it  is  that  national,  state  and  municipal  governments  of 
our  own  country  are  brought  face  to  face  with  a  system  of  irriga- 
tion so  easy  of  realization,  as  to  only  require  the  application  of 
laws  everywhere  governing  in  nature,  giving  them  an  opportunity 
to  work  out  for  themselves  results  at  once  universal,  all  pervading 
and  endless  in  cycles  of  beneficence.  While  Great  Britain  is  engaged 
in  India  not  only  in  the  construction  of  reservoirs  for  the  storage  of 
the  waters  of  springs  and  streams,  but  for  gathering  in  the  rains 
and  dews  for  purposes  of  irrigation,  spending  millions  annually  in 
creation  of  works  for  that  purpose,  and  other  millions  in  keeping 


178  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

them  in  repair,  our  own  country,  possessing  a  domain  of  vaster  ex- 
tent than  that  of  any  nation  of  the  world  and  of  incomparably 
greater  value,  has  only  to  enter  upon  her  own  possessions,  and  by 
trenching  her  mountain  sides  beget  reservoirs  as  enduring  as  the 
foundations  of  earth.  Let  no  one  doubt  that  the  alkaline  deposits 
in  the  Great  Desert  lands  will  be  removed  from  the  soil  by  this 
running  of  the  waters  through  them,  leaving  only  such  proportions 
of  alkali  as  is  required  for  the  best  developement  of  plant  growth. 
But  whence  will  come  the  money  with  which  to  do  this  work  is 
the  question.  Our  answer  is,  let  such  policies  be  pursued  by 
governments,  state  and  national,  as  will  encourage  and  foster  in- 
dustries. Let  the  world  find  out  that  intoxicating  liquors  used  as 
a  beverage  are  a  curse,  and  provide  for  the  suppression  of  their  sale 
as  such.  This  will  save  thousands  of  millions  of  money  and  count- 
less numbers  of  lives  annually.  Let  our  schools  and  churches,  Sun- 
day schools  and  educational  institutions  and  agencies  generally, 
frown  upon,  discourage,  and  ultimately  prohibit  the  production  and 
use  of  tobacco,  a  greater  curse,  if  possible,  than  rum.  Let  no  party 
as  such,  attempt  these  reforms,  but  let  the  work  be  done  by  men 
and  women  everywhere,  irrespective  of  party  or  sect.  Last,  not 
least,  let  pure  water  be  everywhere  sought,  and  let  the  waters  be 
nowhere  wasted,  but  made  to  do  their  perfect  work  everywhere. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


THE   EXPENSE    OF    THE   NEW    SYSTEM. 


"  It  costs  five  hundred  dollars  to  fit  a  single  acre  under  Cole's 
system,"  exclaims  an  occasional  critic.  "  What  farmer  can  afford 
such  an  outlay?" 

"Not  one  in  a  thousand,  probably  not  one  in  ten  thousand,"  is 
our  own  answer. 

Never  have  we  suggested  such  cost  for  farm  lands.  So  far  as 
we  are  personally  concerned,  we  have  nearly  finished  work  on  five 
acres,  having  in  view  the  utmost  possibilities  of  production  in  hor- 
ticulture. No  plat  of  land  equaling  our  five  acres  can  be  found 
on  the  face  of  the  earth.  "Were  it  within  an  hour's  run  by  rail  of 
any  of  our  larger  cities,  this  plat  would  be  worth  more  money 
than  any  equal  area  not  under  glass  in  the  world.  It  would  be 
worth  more  than  any  greenhouse,  costing  from  ten  to  twenty  times 
as  much.  In  the  mere  fitting  of  this  land,  the  cost  has  not 
exceeded  $1,500.  Here  are  the  figures,  moneys  expended  for  all 
purposes,  sober  facts  that  do  not  lie : 

Expenses  for  1882,  not  exceeding  $300;  for  1883,  about  $500;  for 
1884,  not  exceeding  $800.  This  has  been  my  investment  up  to 
April  1st,  1885.  I  have  this  season  expended  about  $700  up  to  this 
this  date  August  13,  1885.  Thus  twenty-three  hundred  dollars 
has  fitted  my  land,  planted  it  to  trees  and  plants,  cared  for  and  har- 
vested and  marketed  all  products,  paid  for  manures  etc.,  and  durinq  that 
period  has  returned  at  least  $500  in  excess  of  expenses. 


180  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

Over  and  again  have  we  endeavored  to  undeceive  the  public  in 
regard  to  this  matter  of  cost,  but  in  vain.  Barely  one  agricultural 
paper  in  the  land  has  sought  to  aid  us  in  this;  all  others,  so  far  as 
we  are  aware,  have  striven  to  increase  the  extent  of  the  false  esti- 
mate. The  Husbandman,  however,  published  at  Elmira,  N.  Y.,  has 
not  only  treated  us  fairly,  but  generously.  As  this  great  paper  is 
an  organ  of  the  Grange,  and  the  medium  through  which  the  famed 
farmers  of  the  Chemung  Valley  make  themselves  heard,  its  voice  is 
potential. 

Mr.  James  McCann,  President,  and  Mr.  George  \V.  Hoffman,  ex- 
President  of  the  Farmers'  Club  of  Elmira,  together  with  Mr.  "W. 
A.  Armstrong,  the  latter  having  no  superior  among  agricultural 
editors  of  our  State,  have  reputations  quite  as  great  as  those  pos- 
sessed by  most  of  the  eminent  men  of  the  agricultural  press. 
These  have  carefully  examined  "  The  New  Agriculture,"  and 
will  vouch  for  the  fact  that  we  have  never  advised  expend- 
ing more  than  from  thirty  to  fifty  dollars  an  acre  on  farm  lands  ; 
yet  we  propose  to  fit  fifty  acres  at  a  cost  not  to  exceed  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  dollars  per  acre.  Thus  fitted,  our  lands  for  agricul- 
tural and  horticultural  purposes  combined,  will  doubtless  return 
good  profits  on  an  outlay  of  from  three  to  five  hundred  dollars 
per  acre  for  the  full  fifty  acres. 

My  five  acres  will  return  when  in  full  bearing,  at  least  five  hun- 
dred dollars  to  an  acre  in  home  markets.  The  remaining  forty- 
five  acres  in  farm  crops  will  without  doubt  average  fifty,  possibly 
an  hundred  dollars  an  acre  net  annually.  I  leave  the  reader  to 
make  his  own  figures  and  decide  whether  it  will  pay.  The  con- 
clusion thus  far  reached  by  myself,  having  tried  "  The  New  Agri- 
culture," is,  that  no  business  pays  as  well  as  farming  and  garden- 
ing, under  systems  of  subsurface,  subterranean  or  underground- 
irrigation. 


THE   NEW   AGKICULTUEE.  183 

The  following  communications  addressed  respectively  to  us  and 
to  the  Editor  of  The  Farm  Journal,  of  Philadelphia,  by  a  farmer 
•who  has  adopted  our  system,  is  evidence  of  the  fact  that  one  hun- 
dred dollars  per  acre  will  cover  the  cost  of  fitting  lands  under  "  The 
New  Agriculture,"  for  horticultural  purposes. 

MAINSBUEG,  PA.,  Sept.  21,  1885. 
Hon.  A.  N.  Cole, 

DEAR  SIR  : — I  find  in  the  Farm  Journal  for  September,  edited  by 
Mr.  W.  Atkinson,  of  Philadelphia,  the  following  mention  : 

"  Mr.  Cole's  new  agriculture  is  not  likely  to  be  extensively  imi- 
tated. It  cost  him  $500  an  acre  to  make  the  stone  ditches,  and 
yet,  he  has  it  patented." 

I  am  satisfied  this  criticism  by  Mr.  A.  is  to  be  ascribed  to  his 
want  of  knowledge  upon  the  subject.  If  he  can  be  undeceived,  and 
enlisted  in  favor  of  your  system,  he  would  prove  a  powerful  ally. 
I  enclose  a  letter  which  I  have  written  him,  and  if  you  approve  it, 
I  will  request  its  publication. 

I  finished  my  little  model  farm  a  week  ago,  and  have  set  a  few 
rows  of  strawberries,  which  are  looking  finely.  It  has  been  fitted 
to  the  letter  in  obedience  to  your  directions — first,  well  rotted  ma- 
nure plowed  in ;  next  well  rotted  manure  and  leached  ashes  drag- 
ged in;  then  two  inches  thick  of  fine  washings  from  barnyard, 
where  it  had  lodged  on  upper  portion  of  the  garden.  The  mulch- 
ing with  leaves  will  be  attended  to  at  proper  time,  and  any  other 
suggestions  you  may  make  will  be  gladly  adopted. 

Leading  from  the  barn  which  is  eighty  feet  long  is  an  under- 
drain  which  carries  off  quite  an  amount  of  water  during  rains. 
The  surface  water  from  the  side  hill,  and  water  from  the  eave- 
troughs,  together  with  that  from  the  drain  under  the  wall  of  the  barn, 
is  gathered  in  to  prevent  washing  through  the  barnyard.  This  addi- 
tional supply  is  connected  through  an  underdrain  into  the  trenches. 


184  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

I  do  not  see  why  the  longing  for  perfection  which  is  presumed 
to  be  natural  to  most  minds,  is  not  satisfied  by  your  system,  nor  do 
I  see  why  you  may  not  now  say,  "  what  more  can  I  do  in  my  vine- 
yard, that  has  not  been  done  in  it  ?  " 

Yours  Respectfully. 

E.  R  MAINE. 

In  explanation  of  the  above  our  readers  need  hardly  be  told 
that  its  author  is  one  of  several  who  began  work  under  our  sys- 
tem. Mr.  Maine  has  done  his  work  in  a  way  to  insure  success. 
His  thoroughness  in  the  matter  of  manuring,  will  secure  returns 
the  ensuing  year.  Had  he  manured  less  at  the  outset,  it  would 
have  required  a  year  or  two  longer  to  show  the  effects  of  the 
system,  but  time  has  been  gained  and  that  is  an  important  con- 
sideration. 

The  following  communication  was   addressed  by  Mr.  Maine   to 

the  Editor  of  The  Farm  Journal  : 

MAINSBURG,  PA.,  Sept.,  21,  1885. 
Mr.   W.  Atkinson, 

DEAR  SIR  : — Having  seen  the  working  model  of  Mr.  Cole's  new 
system  of  irrigation  at  Wellsville,  Allegany  County,  N.  Y.,  I  was  so 
favorably  impressed  as  to  induce  me  to  fit  a  small  piece  of  land, 
intending  fully  and  fairly  to  test  its  merits.  So  far  I  can  only 
report  upon  the  cost. 

To  fit  an  acre  as  I  have  done  for  horticulture,  takes  eighty  rods 
of  trench,  and  sixteen  rods  for  drain.  I  enclose  diagram  of  one 
acre,  8  x  20  rods.  First  trench  lengthwise  one  rod  from  side  of 
the  plat  ;  the  next,  two  rods  below  the  first,  making  in  all  four 
trenches  twenty  rods  long,  and  two  rods  apart.  The  cross  drains 
are  eight  rods  apart  in  the  middle,  and  four  rods  from  the  ends. 

The  maximum  cost  for  digging  the  trenches  in  any  soil,  3|  ft. 
deep  and  2  ft.  wide  is  75  cents  per  rod,  and  the  cross  drains  35 
cents,  making  $65.60  per  acre.  (See  diagram  on  following  page.) 


THE   NEW    AGRICULTURE. 


185 


It  will  be  safe  to  say  that  the  entire  cost  of  labor  will  be  less 
than  one  hundred  dollars  per  acre.  In  this  section  the  stone  for 
filling  in  are  of  no  value,  and  the  work  of  filling  is  comparatively 
light. 

As  a  farmer,  and  interested  personally  like  yourself,  I  write 
this  more  especially  that  The  Farm  Journal  may  not  occupy  a 
false  position  inadvertently.  If  one  half  of  what  the  system 
appears  to  be  is  true,  it  is  the  biggest  thing  that  was  ever  thought 
of  since  the  world  was  made.  If  land  can  be  made  to  produce 
all  it  is  capable  of  doing  by  an  equable  supply  of  moisture  and 
the  element  of  uncertainty  removed  in  farming,  the  cost  of  pre- 
paring the  land  would  be  small,  compared  to  the  benefits  received. 
If  the  cost  is  all,  Mr.  Cole's  system  is  an  assured  success  and  it 
will  win  its  way  whether  favored  or  opposed  by  the  press. 

TWENTY  RODS. 


First  trench. 

Second  trench. 

Third  trench. 

Fourth  trench. 

Cross  drains.  Cross  drains. 

In  fairness,  we  should,  it  seems  to  me,  withold  an  opinion, 
while  awaiting  developments,  and  if  there  is  anything  likely  to 
interpose  in  favor  of  the  farmer,  in  Heaven's  name  let  us  not  op- 
pose it. 

If  you  can  consistently  publish  the  statement  herein  made,  it 
would,  I  feel,  tend  to  correct  a  prevalent  error,  and  would  be 

esteemed  a  favor  by  your  friend  and  well  wisher, 

E.  K.  MAINE. 

Though  several  doubters  have  not  omitted  to  say  that  our  system 
is  one  calling  for  expenditures  causing  the  average  farmer,  should 


186  THE  NEW  AGRICULTURE. 

he  adopt  it,  to  start  back  in  fear  of  bankruptcy,  we  have  in  no 
instance  controverted  their  statements,  preferring  to  appeal  to  the 
public  through  the  medium  of  our  book.  We  now  say,  once  for 
all,  that  the  fitting  of  lands  from  year  to  year  with  the  plow  and 
the  spade,  and  their  fertilization  by  methods  hitherto  in  vogue,  are 
waste  and  extravagance  by  the  side  of  those  called  for  in  "  The 
New  Agriculture." 


CHAPTEE 


1850 1885-UTHE    HOME   ON   THE    HILLSIDE"    THEN    AND    NOW. 


Mr.  William  Pooler,  one  of  our  present  neighbors,  built  in  1853 
and  resided  in  the  house  now  known  as  "  The  Home  on  the  Hill- 
Bide."  He  forwards  us  the  following  communication. 

"  I  think  it  was  about  1850,  that  I  purchased  the  place  on  which 
you  now  live.  Wellsville  was  then  in  the  woods,  and  the  Erie 
road  had  been  built  through  from  New  York  to  Dunkirk.  I  had 
been  familiar  with  hardpan  lands  in  Chenango  and  other  counties 
of  the  Southern  Tier,  and  had  done  something  of  subsoiling  in 
more  ways  than  one,  and  had  become  convinced  that  Allegany 
hardpan  had  only  to  be  properly  treated,  and  it  could  be  made 
rich  and  productive.  My  hillside  had  been  cleared  for  several 
years  being  one  of  the  earliest  lots  improved  in  what  is  now  Wells- 
ville, then  the  town  of  Scio. 

"There  was  an  old  orchard  on  the  place,  and  also  a  tree 
which  I  shall  never  forget.  It  was  not  in  the  orchard  but  stood 
by  itself,  a  little  to  the  northwest  of  the  house,  and  was  a  Koxbury 
russet;  no  more  worthless  fruit  could  have  been  anywhere  found. 
Yesterday  (Sept.  22,  1885)  I  plucked  from  this  tree  two  apples; 
one  the  smallest  I  could  find,  the  other  of  average  size  of  those 
with  which  the  tree  was  so  loaded  as  to  bow  its  branches  to  the 
ground  upon  which  the  lower  limbs  rested.  I  should  judge  there 
were  twenty-five  bushels  of  apples  on  this  tree  two  thirds  grown. 


190  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

These  apples  on  the  first  of  October  in  the  years  1853,  '54  and  '55 
did  not  average  larger  than  crab  apples  at  that  time  of  year.  They 
were  not  so  large  at  harvesting  as  the  small  one  I  picked  yester- 
day, nor  were  they  quarter  as  large  as  most  of  the  apples  on  the 
tree  at  this  time.  The  tree  was  then  about  ten  years  old,  and  was 
covered  with  moss  and  in  all  respects  of  no  value,  and  I  threaten- 
ed at  the  time  to  cut  it  down  as  a  cumberer  of  the  ground.  I 
should  guess  that  the  tree  might  possibly  have  borne  two  bushels 
of  apples  in  a  bearing  year,  and  we  did  not  pretend  to  gather 
them.  The  apples  now  on  the  tree  are  large,  fine  and  fair;  in  fact, 
they  are  the  finest  russets  I  ever  saw. 

"  You  showed  me  Early  Rose  potatoes  grown  this  year,  the  like  of 
which  I  never  saw  anywhere.  Some  of  these  weighed  from  a  pound 
to  a  pound  and  a  half  apiece,  and  I  should  think  one  would  weigh 
two  pounds.  You  assured  me  that  you  had  grown  them  at  the 
rate  of  over  one  thousand  bushels  to  the  acre  the  present  season, 
and  I  have  no  reason  to  doubt  it.  As  there  is  no  fungus  on  your 
grounds,  there  is  no  rot.  The  tomatoes  all  over  the  town  are  rot- 
ting, but  I  did  not  observe  any  rotten  ones  on  your  place,  and  I 
certainly  never  saw  such  splendid  fruit,  nor  anything  like  as  many 
to  the  plant. 

"  I  gave  you  an  account  of  my  experiment  with  two  acres  of  po- 
tatoes in  1854,  and  here  repeat  it.  The  plot  on  which  I  planted  is 
a  portion  of  the  ground  now  embraced  in  your  garden,  on  which 
this  year  has  been  grown  such  crops  as  I  never  set  eyes  on  before. 
I  fitted  these  two  acres  with  greater  care  and  painstaking  than  any 
equal  amount  of  ground  in  my  life,  mixing  a  portion  of  the  sub- 
soil with  that  of  the  surface,  and  covered  it  deep  with  well  rotted 
barnyard  manure,  making  it  very  rich.  A  careful  man  and  a  good 
farmer  planted  the  two  acres  to  potatoes  on  halves,  and  I  realized 
just  thirty  bushels  for  my  half.  This  completely  discouraged  me 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  191 

and  though  there  was  then  no  better  house  in  Wellsville  than  the 
one  I  had  built  upon  the  place,  and  the  barn  was  nearly  new,  I 
gave  up  and  sold  the  property  for  what  I  could  get.  You  told  me 
yesterday  that  you  valued  your  two  acres  completed  at  $5,000  an 
acre,  and  that  it  was  paying  well  at  that.  As  five  thousand  dollars 
at  six  per  cent,  interest  only  gives  $300,  I  do  not  wonder,  since  I 
am  sure  you  are  getting  two  or  three  times  that  from  an  acre.  I 
have  seen  the  strawberries  and  other  fruits  and  vegetables  as  sold, 
in  this  market  for  the  last  three  or  four  years  and  have  eaten  of 
the  fruit,  and  have  never  seen  anything  anywhere  near  as  large, 
beautiful  and  fine  flavored. 

"You  yesterday  showed  me  pods  of  peas,  and  I  carried  home 
specimens  with  eight  peas  in  a  pod,  of  such  marvelous  size,  as  to 
astonish  me.  The  peas  were  of  the  dwarf  variety,  as  shown  by 
the  vines,  and  yet  they  were  as  large  as  Delaware  grapes.  You 
assured  me  you  grew  five  hundred  bushels  of  pods  to  the  acre  of 
these  peas,  and  I  believe  you,  since  your  Champions  of  England, 
on  vines  higher  than  any  man's  head,  loaded  with  pods  and  still 
covered  with  blossoms,  presented  such  a  sight  as  I  never  saw 
before.  Your  squashes,  beets,  cabbage  and  cauliflower  were  all 
very  fine,  and  as  for  the  squashes,  I  never  saw  anything  in  my  life 
so  astonishing.  Though  quinces  are  rarely  grown  in  Allegany 
County,  I  saw  as  fine  ones  as  I  ever  came  across  anywhere. 

"  Nothing  so  much  surprised  me  as  the  change  wrought  in  the 
soil.  The  cold  clay  and  hardpan  had  been  turned  into  a  soil,  deep, 
soft  and  very  rich,  growing  all  forms  of  plants,  bushes  and  trees 
to  perfection.  You  say  your  system  wipes  out  the  hardpan,  and  it 
certainly  does. 

"  This  latter  feature  of  your  plan  surprised  me  more  than  any 
other,  but  perhaps  I  should  except  from  this  your  spring  brook,, 
and  that  stream  of  pure  cold  water,  flowing  out  from  the  pipe  in 


192  THE   NEW   AGKICULTUBE. 

the  rear  of  the  house,  there  being  no  springs  on  this  part  of  the 
place.  Nobody  can  look  down  into  your  trenches  where  open,  and 
see  the  long  stretches  of  spring  water  in  them  as  I  did,  and  not 
discover  that  you  save  all  the  water  which  falls  upon  the  hillside, 
using  what  is  needed  for  the  growing  crop  and  the  remainder,  by 
far  the  greater  portion,  running  off  in  purity.  Though  before  my 
visit  of  yesterday,  I  was  convinced  your  system  was  a  success,  I 
left  your  place  prepared  to  say  what  I  now  do. 

"  Your  discovery  has  no  equal,  nor  do  I  believe  anything  will 
hereafter  be  discovered  so  important  to  the  health  and  prosperity 

of  the  people. 

WILLIAM  POOLER. 

Mr.  Pooler's  statement  is  one  in  accord  with  the  testimony  of 
everyone  who  has  looked  over  our  place,  and  yet  his  evidence  is 
most  convincing  from  the  fact  that  he  personally  tried  the  experi- 
ment of  making  farming  an  object  on  the  land  we  now  possess, 
and  though  doing  his  utmost  at  a  time  when  the  demand  for  farm 
products  in  home  markets  exceeded  the  supply,  failed  to  make 
farming  a  success,  owing  to  the  paucity  and  poverty  of  the  pro- 
ducing soil. 

Let  us  now,  in  turn,  post  the  books  : 

We  have  grown  the  present  year  Early  Hose  potatoes  without 
rot,  larger,  finer  and  better  than  any  we  have  ever  seen  in  our 
entire  life,  at  the  rate,  at  least,  of  twelve  hundred  bushels  to  the  acre. 

We  have  grown  strawberries  of  extraordinary  size  and  flavor  at 
the  rate  of  three  to  four  hundred  bushels  per  acre. 

We  have  grown  raspberries  five  hundred  bushels  per  acre. 

We  have  become  convinced,  from  experiments  made  already, 
that  next  year  we  will  be  enabled  to  grow  blackberries  exceeding 
in  quantity  to  the  acre  the  growth  of  our  raspberries. 

We  have  grown  a  few  clusters  of  grapes  on  newly  set  vines   to 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  195 

such  size,  beauty  and  perfection,  as  to  convince  us  that  five  pounds 
of  superior  quality  can  be  grown  under  our  system  where  one  can 
be  produced  under  established  methods. 

We  have  grown  marrow  fat  peas  to  nearly  or  quite  double  the 
size  of  the  ordinary  product  at  the  rate  of  upwards  of  five  hundred 
bushels  of  pods  to  the  acre  ;  we  have  also  grown  an  equal  number 
of  bushels  to  the  acre  of  pods  of  McLean's  dwarf  varieties  and 
have  now  growing,  a  drill  of  the  Champions  of  England,  loaded 
with  pods  promising  upwards  of  a  thousand  bushels  per  acre,  at 
least. 

We  have  grown  the  ordinary  blood  beet  to  a  length  of  three  and 
a  half  feet,  and  become  convinced  that  these  may  be  more  than 
doubled  in  length  under  the  best  conditions  of  our  system. 

We  have  brought  out  from  our  hillside  a  flowing  well  of  crystal 
waters  of  a  degree  of  purity  and  temperature  to  grow  brook 
troui 

We  are  convinced,  that  what  we  have  done  in  the  growth  of  the 

• 

fruits  of  the  earth  can  be  done  in  all  regions  of  hills,  valleys  and 
undulations,  and  that  too,  at  a  cost  in  fitting  farm  lands,  of  no 
more  than  fifty  dollars  per  acre,  and,  in  a  majority  of  instances, 
not  exceeding  thirty  dollars. 

We  are  convinced  that  models  as  perfect  as  our  own  can  be  pre- 
pared at  an  expense  of  no  more  than  two  hundred  dollars  per  acre, 
and  in  a  majority  of  instances  they  will  cost  no  more  than  one 
hundred  dollars  per  acre. 

Of  the  fruits  pictured  along  the  pages  of  our  book,  we  will  only 
say  that  the  quince,  measuring  twelve  inches  in  circumference  is 
no  more  than  three-fourths  grown.  We  grew  specimens  in  1882  to 
the  circumference  of  fifteen  inches,  the  size  of  a  pint  bowl.  That 
the  specimen  protographed  would  in  a  month  longer  have  grown 
to  a  circumference  of  fifteen  inches,  we  are  well  convinced. 


106  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

,The  largest  specimen  of  the  Lombard  plum,  a  drawing  of  which 
is  given,  is  somewhat  less  than  another  stolen  from  the  tree  be- 
fore fully  ripe.  None  of  the  pictures  of  the  plums  come  up  to  the 
reality,  since  we  were  obliged  to  pluck  them  before  fully  ripe,  to 
save  them  from  being  stolen. 

During  a  visit  to  our  home  by  Mr.  "William  C.  Harris,  on  Sep- 
tember 17,  we  plucked  a  head  of  early  Paris  cauliflower,  which 
had  grown  in  twelve  days  to  the  circumference  of  thirty-one 
inches.  This  was  measured  in  the  presence  of  Mrs.  Harris.  At 
same  date,  we  dug  one  hill  of  Early  Eose  potatoes,  the  vines  by  no 
means  dead,  but  the  tubers  still  growing,  which  were  weighed  by 
Messrs  "W.  C.  Harris,  and  J.  H.  Selkreg,  with  results  as  follows : 

The  potatoes  from  this  one  hill  weighed  16|  pounds,  upwards 
•of  a  peck  to  the  hill.  Five  of  the  potatoes  measured  the  largest 
ivay  round  as  follows:  17,  17^,  18,  18,  and  18|  inches,  and  all 
averaged  nine  inches  in  girth.  The  memorandum  from  which  we 
copy  is  in  the  handwriting  of  Senator  Selkreg,  and  signed  by  him. 
That  the  potatoes  from  this  one  hill  would  have  weighed  twenty 
pounds,  had  they  been  left  to  their  full  growth,  we  have  little 
doubt. 

We  conclude  this  chapter  by  a  statement,  made  as  follows  by 
E.  F.  Stelle,  an  intelligent  farmer,  who  has  been  the  superintend- 
ent during  the  last  two  seasons  of  our  model  five  acres. 

"  To  all  whom  it  may  concern. 

"A  year  ago  the  29th  of  June  last,  I  called  on  Mr.  Cole  having  in 
•view  work  on  his  place  as  a  temporary  expedient,  not  having  the 
least  idea  of  continuing  in  his  employment  more  than  a  week  or 
two  at  the  utmost.  I  considered  myself  a  good  farmer,  and  felt 
that  I  knew  considerable  about  gardening.  I  had  heard  inciden- 
tally of  a  new  system  of  agriculture  and  horticulture  of  which  Mr. 
Cole  was  the  discoverer.  This  he  explained  briefly,  but  at  the 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  197 

same  time  in  a  way  which  seemed  rather  to  discourage  than  en- 
courage me  to  look  into  it.  I  saw  clearly  that  the  author  of  "  The 
New  Agriculture"  took  every  man  who  came  to  ask  him  questions, 
as  coming  more  from  curiosity  to  see  what  he  would  say,  than  to 
obtain  information.  The  more  Mr.  Cole  said,  the  deeper  became 
my  interest  in  his  conversation,  since  I  saw  at  a  glance  the  man 
was  talking  of  a  subject  on  which  he  was  well  posted. 

"  Looking  me  over,  he  concluded  I  was  hardly  stout  enough  to 
work  in  his  trenches,  but  after  some  hesitation  engaged  me  to 
work  for  a  few  days  setting  strawberry  plants.  He  gave  direc- 
tions that  no  plant  should  he  set  till  every  stone,  big  or  little, 
lying  in  reach  of  the  roots  was  removed,  giving  as  a  reason,  that 
if  the  root  struck  a  stone,  it  would  be  attacked  by  fungus,  and 
that  the  plant  would  languish,  if  not  die,  and  would  bear  little  or 
no  fruit.  He  pointed  out  plants  having  a  sickly  appearance,  and 
directed  me  to  pull  them  up,  dig  down  for  the  cause  of  unthrift, 
and  removing  it,  set  a  new  and  healthy  one  in  its  place. 

"  I  soon  found  an  abundance  of  work,  since  fully  one-third  of  his 
plants,  set  by  careless  or  inexperienced  laborers,  gave  evidence  of 
fungus  at  their  roots.  Security  from  fungus,  seemed  to  me  at 
first  a  large  part  of  Mr.  Cole's  system. 

"  '  Give  your  plants  plenty  of  water,  removing  obstructions,  so 
that  the  roots  will  not  strike  them,'  he  said,  '  and  there  will  be  no 
fungus,  unless  it  is  planted  in  the  soil  by  decaying  wood  or  un- 
composted  and  fermenting  manures,  or  by  water-logged  lands.' 

"  I  saw  at  a  glance  that  Mr.  Cole's  system  removed  difficulties, 
giving  his  plants  an  opportunity  of  eating  and  drinking  all  they 
wanted,  making  their  own  selection.  I  had  not  been  a  month  at 
work  before  becoming  more  deeply  interested  in  Mr.  Cole's  me- 
thods of  cultivating  the  soil,  than  in  anything  I  had  ever  worked 
at.  "While  I  worked  for  wages,  I  worked  also  to  get  knowledge, 


198  THE   NEW   AGEICULTUEE. 

and  though  approaching  three  score  years  and  ten,  I  have  become 
a  deeply  interested  student  of  a  system,  bound,  I  am  satisfied,  to 
become  general  throughout  the  land. 

"Always  taking  a  deep  interest  in  orcharding,  I  have  taken  par- 
ticular notice  of  the  effect  of  Mr.  Cole's  system  on  apple-trees. 
I  have  seen  an  old  tree  made  to  cast  off  its  dead  bark,  and  drop  its 
mosses,  the  trunk  and  limbs  to  the  end  of  every  twig  having  a 
bright  and  vigorous  growth.  The  old  apple  tree  standing  alone  on 
the  trenched  portion  of  Mr.  Cole's  farm  has  been  with  me  an  ob- 
ject of  continual  interest.  Mr.  Cole  has  had  this  tree  photograph- 
ed, the  picture  being  taken  several  days  ago.  Even  then,  the  low- 
er limbs  had  in  some  instances  reached  the  ground,  and  were  rest- 
ing upon  ii  Other  limbs  are  following  suit,  and  it  looks  now  as 
though  all  of  the  lower  limbs  would  rest  upon  the  ground.  I  have 
urged  Mr.  Cole  to  have  the  tree  propped  up,  but  he  insists  upon  it 
that  none  of  the  limbs  having  broken,  none  will.  Mr.  Cole  tells 
me  the  top  of  the  tree  has  nearly  doubled  in  spread  since  trench- 
ing above  it,  and  this  I  cannot  doubt,  as  it  has  grown  since  I  be- 
gan working  for  him  as  I  never  saw  any  tree  grow  before.  I  have 
rarely  seen  a  tree  so  bright  in  the  lustre  of  its  bark  throughout  its 
entire  top,  and  to  the  end  of  every  twig.  The  old  and  shaggy 
bark  on  the  body  has  been  continually  dropping  off,  moss  disap- 
pearing, and  the  tree  throughout  has  the  appearance  of  youth,  and 
yet,  according  to  Mr.  Pooler,  who  knew  it  as  a  ten  year  old  tree, 
thirty  years  ago,  it  should  have  reached  its  prime.  That  it  has 
grown  nearly  as  much  in  three  years  past,  as  in  its  entire  life  be- 
fore, I  am  satisfied.  The  fruit  on  this  tree,  Mr.  Pooler  says,  grew 
no  larger  than  a  good  sized  thorn  apple,  when  he  owned  the  place, 
and  was  an  insignificant  and  worthless  russet.  The  apple  as  seen 
at  present,  shows  so  little  of  the  russet  coating,  as  to  have  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  greening,  when  seen  at  a  little  distance  ;  hence  the 


APPLE,    NATURAL   SIZE,    AS   GROWN  IN   1855    ON   OLD   APPLE   TREE. 


I 


— —  «.;.. 
APPLE,    NATURAL    SIZE,    AS   GROWN    IN    1885    ON    OLD    APPLE   TREE. 


THE   NEW   AGEICULTURE.  201 

statements  getting  into  the  papers  that  Mr.  Cole  had  turned  a  rus- 
set apple  into  a  greening,  nor  do  I  wonder  at  it  since  I  must  say 
the  apples  resemble  greenings.  To  describe  this  tree  is  impossi- 
ble. I  have  never  seen  such  a  wonder,  bearing  such  fine  fruit, 
tender  and  juicy,  and  of  matchless  flavor.  I  think  there  is  nearly 
twenty  bushels  of  apples  on  the  tree,  were  they  gathered  to-day, 
and  whether  to  place  the  estimate  at  thirty  or  forty  at  harvest  time, 
I  am  at  a  loss,  since  the  fruit  swells  out  so  from  day  to  day  as  to 
bewilder  me. 

"  Still  more  remarkable  is  the  effect  upon  another  tree  which  I 
will  endeavor  to  describe.  Mr.  Cole  took  one  of  his  men  a  few 
days  after  his  great  show  on  the  7th  of  July,  and  going  into  his  or- 
chard, picked  out  two  trees  well  loaded  with  fruit.  One  was  young, 
eight  years  old.  Mr.  Cole  tells  me  it  was  a  Flemish  beauty ;  the 
other  was  an  old  tree.  I  should  think  it  one  of  the  oldest  trees  of 
a  very  old  orchard,  there  being  no  older  orchard,  as  I  am  told,  in 
town.  The  ground  was  cultivated  as  a  garden  about  the  young 
tree,  while  the  old  one  stood  in  the  sod  of  years.  About  both  trees 
trenches  were  dug  and  finished  under  Mr.  Cole's  system.  Overflows 
were  provided,  and  the  ground  broken  and  well  manured.  The  apples 
on  the  Flemish  beauty  were  nearly  half  grown,  and  by  the  first  of 
September  presented  an  appearance  in  marked  contrast  with  those 
on  other  early  trees  around  it.  The  fruit  grew  rapidly,  matured 
early,  and  if  finer  fruit  was  ever  produced,  I  never  saw  it.  It  is 
the  old  tree,  however,  bearing  a  nameless  apple,  that  presents  at 
this  time  a  wonderful  transformation.  The  apples  were  about  the 
size  of  thorn  plums  when  the  tree  was  trenched  around.  Mr.  Cole 
tells  me  that  while  the  fruit  growing  on  this  tree  is  not  the  Lady- 
apple,  he,  three  years  ago,  gave  them  to  his  grand-children  as  such. 
He  also  tells  me  that  an  ounce  was  the  average  weight  of  the  apple 
three  years  ago.  There  are  now  apples  growing  on  the  tree  of 


202  THE   NEW    AGRICULTURE. 

three  ounces  weight,  and  the  growth  continues  at  a  rapid  rate. 
Where  they  will  stop  nobody  knows.  That  apples  will  be  gather- 
ed at  harvest  weighing  five  or  six  ounces,  I  believe.  Their  luster 
is  astonishing.  In  fact,  I  have  never  seen  their  equal.  The  fruit 
developing  to-day,  is  incomparably  finer  than  any  on  the  place. 

"  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  results  thus  far  realized  by  Mr.  Cole  in 
orcharding,  justifies  the  following  copied  from  the  Husbandman  at 
the  conclusion  of  his  address  before  the  Farmer's  Club  at  Elmira 
a  month  ago. 

"  '  I  conclude  my  remarks  by  saying  that  from  the  very  first  I 
have  found  the  increase  in  size,  beauty  and  perfection  of  fruits  of 
all  kinds  simply  incredible.  I  am  this  season  making  experiments 
on  two  apple  trees,  one  set  four  years  ago,  two  or  three  years  old 
when  set,  and  the  other  a  tree  at  least  forty  years  old,  selected  from 
others  in  our  orchard,  and  judging  from  present  appearance  of 
these  trees,  the  farmer  who  allows  five  years  to  pass  over  his  head 
without  trenching  his  orchard,  should  give  up  farming  altogether.' ' 

"  While  on  this  subject  I  cannot  omit  saying  that  being  a  Jer- 
seyman  by  birth  and  bringing  up,  I  have  from  boyhood  taken  a 
deep  interest  in  everything  connected  with  fruit  raising  and  mar- 
ket gardening.  I  have  seen  more  manure  used  annually  on  one 
acre  in  New  Jersey  than  Mr.  Cole  has  used  on  his  whole  five  acres 
during  the  last  two  seasons,  and  in  no  instance  have  I  known  more 
than  a  quarter  of  a  crop  grown  in  New  Jersey  or  in  Western 
Pennsylvania  (where  I  now  reside  and  own  a  small  farm  under  a 
good  state  of  cultivation)  when  compared  with  crops  grown  by  Mr. 
Cole.  From  the  first  day  of  my  superintendence  of  the  "  Home  on 
the  Hillside  "  I  have  made  a  study  of  fungoid  growths,  the  seeds  of 
fungus,  their  attack  upon  roots,  and  effects  generally  upon  plants, 
and  I  am  prepared  to  say  that  after  reading  works  on  agriculture 
and  horticulture  for  fifty  years,  the  agricultural  and  horticultur- 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  203 

al  journals  of  the  country  as  they  have  come  in  my  way,  I  confess 
to  have  learned  more  since  taking  charge  of  Mr.  Cole's  model  five 
acres  than  during  all  the  former  years  of  my  life.  I  am  convinced 
that  the  seeds  of  fungus  are  engendered  under  many  other  condi- 
tions than  those  described  in  the  following  extract  from  Bulletin 
No.  2  of  the  New  Series  treating  of  pear  blight  at  the  State  Exper- 
imental Station  at  Geneva. 

" '  The  disease  is  due  to  living  germs.  These  germs  can  multiply 
indefinitely  in  any  damp  spot  where  there  is  decomposing  vegetable 
matter.  From  such  places  they  are  raised  into  the  air  when  dry  or 
carried  up  by  moisture.  From  the  air  they  lodge  upon  the  trees, 
and  when  the  conditions  are  favorable  pass  into  the  tissues  and 
cause  blight.  The  conditions  referred  to  are  in  geuei-al  (1)  very  ten- 
der tissues,  such  as  are  found  within  the  flowers  and  at  the  ends  of 
expanding  shoots  in  spring,  and  (2)  a  moist  atmosphere.  No  vari- 
eties are  entirely  blight  proof,  but  the  disease  spreads  so  slowly  in 
some  that  they  receive  little  injury,  especially  when  not  making  too 
rapid  growth.  The  reason  why  the  blight,  when  seen  in  July  and 
later,  does  not  pass  directly  from  one  limb  to  another,  or  from  one 
tree  to  another,  is  because  in  the  first  place  the  germs  cannot  escape, 
being  confined  by  the  bark,  or  else  escape  in  a  viscid  exudation 
which  holds  them  firmly  together,  and  in  the  second  place  there 
are  very  few  places  on  the  tree  at  this  time  of  the  year  where  the 
surface  tissues  are  sufficiently  tender  for  them  to  find  an  entrance.' " 

"  Certainly  the  disease  is  due  to  living  germs,  nor  is  this  all;  for 
in  the  air  above,  in  the  earth  beneath,  and  in  waters  on  and  under 
the  earth  are  the  seeds  of  death  arising  from  decomposition  and 
from  the  stagnation  of  the  waters,  That  these  can  everywhere  be 
kept  in  motion,  regulated  in  their  flow  and  kept  at  nearly  uniform 
temperature  summer  and  winter,  cannot  be  longer  questioned,  for 
Mr.  Cole  has  demonstrated  the  fact.  He  runs  the  rain  water 


204  THE   KEW   AGRICULTURE. 

through  his  'retorts/  as  he  calls  his  trenches,  and  it  is  per- 
fectly filtered,  He  has  this  season  experimented  on  water  drawn 
from  the  main  of  the  "Wellsville  waterworks,  and  that  too  in  the 
midst  of  a  drought  so  severe  as  to  dry  up  the  springs  feeding  the 
reservoir,  causing  the  water  remaining  in  it  to  stagnate,  rendering 
it  unfit  for  use.  He  has  purified  this  water  completely. 

"  What  Mr.  Cole  does  by  way  of  purifying  the  water  falling 
from  the  clouds,  I  can  perhaps  best  illustrate  by  the  fact  that  a 
year  ago  last  fall,  (the  autumn  before  my  employment  by  him),  he 
corded  up  for  composting,  thirty  or  forty  wagon  loads  of  manure 
in  a  winrow  about  twelve  rods  long  near  the  summit  of  his  hill- 
side. After  I  commenced  work  for  him  in  the  spring  of  last  year, 
when  it  rained  the  water  would  issue  from  this  winrow  of  the 
color  of  lye  and  running  into  the  first  trench  below,  this  liquid 
manure  water  would  become  perfectly  filtered,  and  flow  out  as 
pure  as  the  purest  spring  water.  This  convinced  me  that  a  single 
trench  sunk  below  a  barnyard  would  save  the  manure  otherwise 
lost  by  the  wash  of  rains  and  melting  snows ;  and  that  trenching 
below  stables,  sties,  hen-houses,  and  above,  below,  round  and 
about  dwellings  and  outhouses,  and  dropping  the  waters  deep 
down,  by  overflow  from  trench  to  trench  and  by  movement  through 
the  surface  soil,  and  percolation  through  the  subsoil,  the  ground 
would  absorb  all  impurities.  I  have  become  satisfied  that  the 
stagnant  waters  of  swamps  and  ponds,  and  those  from  drains  and 
sewers  can  be  dropped  into  trenches  and  filtered  perfectly  and 
made  as  pure  as  the  purest  spring  water.  This  demonstrates  the 
fact  that  by  the  use  of  Mr.  Cole's  system  an  end  would  come  to 
pear  blight,  rot  in  potatoes,  of  tomatoes,  and  of  rot  and  premature 
decay  of  all  kinds.  This  very  season  he  has  been  digging  Early 
Hose  potatoes  of  a  size  and  beauty  never  equalled  in  the  experi- 
ence of  any  one  who  has  seen  them;  the  vines  continued  growing 


THE   XEW   AGRICULTURE.  205 

for  weeks  after  all  others  were  dead  in  fields  round  about,  not 
treated  as  Mr.  Cole  is  treating  his  lands.  His  potatoes  average 
from  three  to  five  times  the  weight  of  those  grown  under  old 
methods,  and  that  he  has  this  season  grown  from  ten  to  twelve 
hundred  bushels  to  an  acre,  is  a  fact,  and  I  have  not  seen  a  rotten 
potato  on  his  place  inside  of  his  lines  of  trenching,  while  they  are 
found  thick  enough,  on  that  portion  not  trenched. 

"  What  is  true  of  potatoes,  is  equally  true  of  tomatoes.  Where 
very  little  manure  has  been  applied  directly  to  the  soil,  and  the 
waters  have  been  run  beneath  the  plants,  impregnated  with  the 
manure  from  the  winrow  above,  not  a  rotten  potato  has  this  year 
been  found  on  any  portion  of  the  place  except  where  chip  manure 
was  used. 

"  I  need  not  say  any  more  on  this  point.  If  there  is  a  person  in 
the  world  who  doubts,  they  should  come  and  see  the  squashes 
growing  now  on  this  place.  At  this  date,  the  last  days  of  Septem- 
ber, the  largest  of  these  squashes,  a  Chili  specimen,  measures  fifty 
by  fifty-four  inches  around,  and  will  weigh  upwards  of  an  hundred 
pounds,  and  seems  growing  at  a  rate  of  three  or  four  pounds  per 
day,  and  that  it  will  reach  and  pass  the  size  and  weight  of  the  fa- 
mous specimen  of  the  same  variety  seen  a  year  or  two  ago  at  the 
seed  store  of  Mr.  Peter  Henderson  in  New  York,  is  not  unrea- 
sonable. This  of  course  depends  upon  the  frost  holding  back. 
That  this  squash  would,  under  conditions  of  underground  irriga- 
tion, reach  a  weight  of  three  hundred  pounds  in  New  Jersey,  on 
Long  Island,  Staten  Island,  or  in  Southern  Pennsylvania,  I  have 
no  doubt.  What  it  would  do  farther  south  must  be  left  for  exper- 
iment. Should  the  Government  conclude  to  establish  an  Experi- 
mental Station  at  Washington,  as  has  been  suggested,  it  is  not 
improbable  that  specimens  of  the  Chili  squash  will  be  grown 
weighing  from  four  to  five  hundred  pounds. 


206  THE   NEW   AGKICULTURE. 

"  Most  remarkable  of  all,  however,  are  two  specimens  of  the  yel- 
low cheese  pumpkin.  These  vary  but  little  in  size,  having  already 
grown  to  a  girth  of  four  feet  and  eight  inches,  and  increasing  at 
the  rate  of  an  inch  a  day.  At  no  time  has  the  growth  seemed  more 
rapid.  The  rapidity  of  growth  increases  flavor  and  tenderness  of 
all  vegetables  and  fruits.  The  blood  beet  has  this  year  been  grown 
to  the  length  of  three  feet  by  Mr.  Cole,  and  that  a  foot  more  will 
be  added  this  season,  seems  probable.  That  they  can  be  grown  to 
a  much  greater  length  by  preparing  a  soil  deep  enough,  with  water 
beneath,  I  am  quite  sure. 

"  Mr.  Cole,  not  having  protected  his  quince  trees  from  the  depre- 
dations of  the  borer,  his  quinces  are  not  as  large  at  this  time  of 
year,  so  he  tells  me,  as  those  grown  by  him  five  years  ago  in  his 
first  test  of  his  system.  That  he  then  grew  specimens  to  the  size 
of  a  pint  bowl,  his  family  and  neighbors  bear  witness.  The  speci- 
men he  has  just  had  photographed  measures  at  this  time  nine 
inches  in  circumference,  and  as  seen  at  Rider's  photograph  gallery 
in  Wellsville,  N.  Y.,  exhibited  in  his  glass  case  is  mistaken  for 
wax-work.  That  this  quince  would  have  grown  to  a  girth  of  from 
one  foot  to  one  foot  and  three  inches,  had  it  been  left  to  full  de- 
velopment, I  am  quite  sure.  E.  F.  STELLE. 

WELLSVILLE,  N.  Y.     Sept.  25,  1885. 

"To  all  whom  it  may  concern. 

"  This  will  certify  that  I  met  Mr.  Stelle  the  fore  part  of  the  pre- 
sent week,  while  looking  over  the  place  I  once  owned  and  aban- 
doned because  I  could  not  make  a  living  upon  it  on  account  of 
the  poverty  of  the  soil,  and  his  statement  having  been  submitted 
to  me,  I  declare  it  a  fair  and  truthful  one  from  beginning  to  end, 
corresponding  with  observations  made  by  myself  set  forth  in  my 
own  statement,  made  three  days  since."  WILLIAM  POOLER. 

WELLSVILLE,  Sept.  20,  1885. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


MANURING  UNDER  THE   NEW  SYSTEM THE  AMERICAN   POMOLOGICAL   SOCIETY- 

A   WELCOME   FOR    ALL    AT   THE    "  HOME    ON    THE   HILLSIDE." 


As  the  success  of  our  system  has  been  mainly  attributed,  by 
several  doubters,  to  our  methods  of  fertilizing,  we  desire  to  put  on 
record  that  our  practice  is  simply  that  of  slight  top  dressing,  with 
compost  applied  in  the  early  spring;  the  land  having  been  first 
prepared  as  described  in  Chapter  VII  by  Mr.  Maine.  We  have  no 
hesitation  in  saying  that  not  to  exceed  one-fourth  of  the  quantity 
of  manure  is  necessary  under  the  methods  of  the  new  as  compared 
with  those  of  the  old  agriculture. 

At  the  conclusion  of  an  address  made  by  us  on  Aug.  29,  1885, 
before  the  Farmers  Club  of  Elmira,  the  Hon.  John  H.  Selkreg, 
who  had  recently  visited  our  hillside  in  company  with  Professor 
Roberts  of  Cornell,  was  called  upon  for  his  views  of  "  The  New 
Agriculture."  His  response  was  reported  in  the  Husbandman,  of 
Elmira,  N.  Y.,  as  follows: 

"  I  might,  with  a  good  deal  of  propriety,  enter  most  earnest  pro- 
test against  Mr.  Cole's  coaching  you  to  call  on  me  for  testimony 
that  is  not  needed.  The  position  is  by  no  means  pleasant,  because 
I  have  not  expected  to  add  anything  to  what  has  been  said,  nor  am 
I  in  a  very  high  degree  capable  of  judging  questions  with  which 
you,  as  farmers,  are  far  more  familiar. 

"  I  came  to  your  city  on  business  which  occupied  time,  so   that 


208  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

the  train  which  I  expected  to  take  had  gone  before  I  was  ready, 
and  I  at  once  resolved  to  come  here,  because  I  desired  to  hear 
about  the  New  Agriculture,  and  to  see  friends,  particularly  Mr. 
Cole,  with  whom  I  might  claim  slight  relation,  dating  back  to  its 
origin  somewhere  near  Adam.  I  am  not  a  farmer  by  a  long  way, 
ret  I  appreciate  the  wisdom  in  the  adage  that  glorifies  a  man  who 
makes  two  blades  of  grass  grow  where  but  one  grew  before.  I  be- 
lieve in  improvement,  and  particularly  in  the  most  important  in- 
dustry of  the  land — agriculture.  There  is  great  need  of  every  im- 
provement, for  farmers  have  too  long  clung  to  old  methods. 
There  is  neither  use  nor  sense  in  farmers  staying  by  the  old  me- 
thods employed  by  their  fathers  a  hundred  years  ago,  for  condi- 
tions have  changed,  and  there  is,  therefore,  imperative  necessity 
that  better  means  be  employed — improved  methods,  every  advance- 
ment that  will  lead  to  larger  returns,  and  increase  of  profits. 

"  This,  it  is  true,  may  be  regarded  as  theory.  It  is  theory.  Yet 
it  is  good  common  sense.  I  know  very  little  about  practical  farm- 
ing, for  my  experience  is  confined  mainly  to  a  garden  of  about 
forty  feet  square,  and  I  am  bound  to  say  that  I  do  not  care  for  that 
in  the  best  way,  as  anybody  who  inspects  the  work  would  be  sure 
to  say.  I  had  heard  a  great  deal  about  the  New  Agriculture  be- 
fore curiosity  was  greatly  excited,  but  at  last  I  began  to  wonder, 
— can  these  things  be  true  as  reported  ?  Is  it  possible  that  Mr. 
Cole  is  forcing  earth  to  production  far  greater  than  under  previ- 
ous conditions  ?  I  visited  his  grounds,  saw  his  trenches,  examined 
his  work  and  its  results;  but  all  this  was  necessary  before  I  could 
believe  that  what  appeared  like  extravagant  claims  were  based  in 
truth.  I  found  they  were.  I  found  that  he  had  made  most  won- 
derful improvement  in  land  that  in  the  outset  was  poor.  I  saw 
him  but  a  few  days  ago  dig  potatoes,  nearly  a  peck  from  a  single 
hill.  I  saw  on  the  7th  of  July  on  his  grounds  strawberries  mar- 


c- 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  211 

N 

Yelous  in  size  and  delicious  in  flavor.  Last  Tuesday  I  picked  pea- 
pods  of  a  dwarf  variety,  the  pods  five  inches  in  length  and  each 
containing  eight  large  peas — the  products  of  his  improved  land. 
Now,  when  I  find  these  evidences  of  improvement  I  must  say  there 
is  really  something  worth  considering  in  the  system  by  which  the 
gain  is  made.  That  the  crops  are  improved  may  be  determined 
easily  by  comparison  with  similar  products  on  other  lands  adjoin- 
ing that  which  Mr.  Cole  has  treated.  Nothing  of  the  kind  can  be 
found.  No  strawberries  of  large  size,  or  even  of  ordinary  size, 
were  possible  on  the  unimproved  grounds  near  Mr.  Cole  last  July; 
no  potatoes  of  large  yield,  no  peas  of  large  growth.  Mr.  Cole's 
lands  alone  have  these  remarkable  products.  •  Then  they  are  con- 
vincing evidence  of  merit  in  his  treatment,  whatever  that  may  be. 

"  I  do  not  know  that  all  his  claims  will  be  sustained, — that  he 
will  realize  all  he  expects.  But  I  do  know  i^iat  he  has  effected 
wonderful  improvement  in  his  lands,  and  I  believe  that  similar  im- 
provement, perhaps  less  in  degree,  may  be  made  in  the  soils  of 
these  uplands  in  all  the  hilly  lands  of  Steuben,  Allegany,  Che- 
mung,  Tioga,  Tompkins,  and  many  other  counties  where  conditions 
are  similar.  It  is  something  to  be  proud  of,  to  take  unproductive 
apple  trees  and  by  treatment  of  the  soil  make  them  bear  fruit  of 
fine  character,  and  this  is  what  Mr.  Cole  has  done,  the  fruit  being 
far  superior  to  that  on  other  trees  but  a  little  way  off;  yet  the 
trees  were  formerly  under  the  same  conditions.  So  in  tomato 
plants.  Will  I  seem  to  be  extravagant  in  statement  when  I  say 
that  a  single  vine  on  Mr.  Cole's  improved  land  has  thirty  or  forty 
pounds  of  tomatoes  ?" 

MR,  COLE.     From  one  to  one  and  a  half  bushels. 

SENATOR  SELKREG.  No  doubt;  the  yield  is  simply  marvelous. 
It  is  difficult  to  comprehend  the  change  effected  in  all  the  pro- 
ducts of  that  improved  land.  The  lessons  there  spread  out  to 


21 Z  THE   "SEW   AGRICULTURE. 

view  are  worthy  of  your  careful  consideration.  They  may  not  be 
decisive  of  all  matters  suggested,  nor  even  conclusive  in  any  mat- 
ter, except  that  the  system  employed  tends  to  wonderful  improve- 
ment of  products.  There  may  be  ways  of  cheapening  the  work. 
All  these  matters  are  for  your  consideration. 

W.  A.  ARMSTRONG.  It  is  alleged  that  Mr.  Cole  has  used  a  great 
deal  of  manure  on  his  grounds,  and  that  the  remarkable  fruits  of 
which  he  speaks  may  be  credited  properly  to  that  source.  Now  it 
will  be  gratifying  to  gentlemen  here  to  learn  just  how  much  ma- 
nure has  been  used,  in  order  that  credit  may  be  given  where  it  be- 
longs. 

MR.  COLE.  In  1883  I  used  possibly  sixty  loads  of  manure  on  the 
whole  five  acres  under  treatment — not  more  than  sixty  loads  of 
barnyard  manure,  composted  with  muck  and  all  the  forest  leaves  I 
could  get,  with  sonje  lime  and  some  ashes,  all  used  on  the  surface. 
That  is  the  extent  of  the  application,  and  no  manure  has  been 
applied  since.  I  say  sixty  loads,  because  I  wish  to  exceed  the 
amount ;  I  am  sure  that  not  more  than  that  quantity  was  ap- 
plied, but  I  have  not  the  exact  figures,  and  am,  therefore,  obliged 
to  fix  an  outside  limit  which  is  entirely  safe.  I  believe  this  laud, 
after  three  years  more,  will  want  no  more  manure,  for  enough  will 
be  obtained  through  the  solids  left  by  waters,  which  in  draining 
away,  part  with  all  substances,  animalculae  and  everything  else 
that  in  its  decay  will  furnish  plant  food.  You  will  observe  that 
everything  the  water  contains  must  stop  in  the  soil  and  be  held  for 
use,  and  there  is  enough  in  insect  life,. if  it  can  be  appropriated,  to 
nourish  plants  quite  as  effectually  as  moderate  application  of 
manure.  This  very  morning  I  gave  one  of  my  men  fifty  cents  to 
Tauy  Paris  green  to  kill  potato  beetles  on  the  vines,  without  a  doubt 
that  the  beetles,  when  incorporated  in  the  soil,  will  be  worth  more 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  213 

than  the  money  and  the  labor  of  destroying  them  in  the  fertilizing 
influence  they  will  have  on  the  soil. 

Three  years  ago,  I  prepared  a  bed  for  asparagus  and  put  in  chip 
manure,  a  liberal  supply,  some  of  it  pine  chips,  that  remain  there 
still  without  going  to  decay  as  rapidly  as  I  desired.  Where  that 
chip  manure  is  used,  there  is  fungoid  growth.  A  few  tomato 
vines  planted  along  the  border  yield  fruit  that  has  rotted,  the 
trouble  caused  by  chip  manure.  There  is  no  other  place  on  my 
grounds  where  rot  affects  tomatoes,  and  in  this  spot  the  trouble  is 
clearly  traceable  to  chip  manure. 

"W.  A.  ARMSTRONG.  The  answer  to  my  question  is  not  entirely 
satisfactory,  because  with  the  sixty  loads  of  manure  there  is  all  the 
leaf  mould  that  Mr.  Cole  could  gather.  Now,  if  we  had  a  safe 
estimate  of  that,  the  whole  matter  would  be  clear. 

MR.  COLE.  I  can  only  say  that  I  have  gathered  all  the  leaves 
from  forest  and  other  places  that  I  could  conveniently  get,  but  the 
whole  has  not  been  much.  I  cannot  state  the  exact  amount. 

G.  W.  HOFFMAN.  The  sixty  loads  of  manure  mean  the  compost 
in  which  the  leaves  were  incorporated  ? 

MR.  COLE.  Yes  ;  and  that  is  the  limit.  Sixty  loads  covers 
everything. 

G.  W.  HOFFMAN.  We  have  here  a  tobacco  farmer,  who  knows 
very  well  the  amount  required  on  good  lands  to  secure  a  ,full 
growth  of  tobacco — Mr.  Chamberlain,  whose  experience  is  ex- 
tended. 

GEORGE  CHAMBERLAIN.  I  use  twenty  loads  of  manure  to  the  acre 
the  first  year  ;  after  that  about  ten  loads  each  year,  provided  I  can 
get  so  much. 

G.  W.  HOFFMAN.     And  a  load  is  a  cord  and  a  half  or  more  ? 

GEORGE  CHAMBERLAIN.     Two  cords. 

G.  W.  HOFFMAN.     Then  there  are  forty  cords  used  on  an  acre,  and 


214  THE   NEW   AGKICULTUKE. 

in  the  next  year,  if  tobacco  is  continued,  twenty  cords — the 
amount  in  either  case  much  greater  than  Mr.  Cole  has  used  in  the 
three  years.  I  visited  his  place  July  7th,  and  saw  most  wonderful 
growth  of  plants  and  fruits,  particularly  strawberries,  while  along- 
side the  lands  he  has  treated  every  kind  of  plant  growth  was 
stunted.  He  has  certainly  proved  great  possibilities  in  production 
on  lands  that  at  the  beginning  were  very  poor. 

MR,  COLE.  I  wish  to  call  again  on  Senator  Selkreg,  who  has  ex- 
amined my  grounds  lately.  I  want  to  ask  him  if  he  saw  any 
appearance  of  rot  in  tomatoes  anywhere  except  on  the  few  plants 
bordering  the  asparagus  bed  where  chip  manure  is  used. 

SENATOR  SELKREG.  Not  the  slightest.  That  is  a  matter  that  I 
observed  particularly  before  any  remarks  were  made  about  it.  I 
saw  fruit  rotted  in  that  place,  and  searched  carefully  to  see  how 
far  the  trouble  prevailed.  But  there  was  no  rot  whatever  any- 
where except  in  that  one  place,  where  I  was  informed  chip  manure 
had  been  used,  and  rot  was  traceable  to  that  cause." 

We  are  convinced  that  well  rotted  barnyard  manure,  muck, 
where  obtainable,  or  ordinary  loam,  or  soil  of  bottom  lands  ;  soils 
of  the  prairies  of  the  West,  of  the  swamps  and  morasses  of  the  East 
and  the  South,  when  mixed  with  forest  leaves  and  composted  with 
lime,  salt  and  ashes  in  equal  proportions,  will  prove,  as  top  dress- 
ing* worth  vastly  more  than  the  best  of  phosphates ;  and  that  what 
has  been  denominated  green  manuring,  the  plowing  in  of  clover, 
buckwheat,  rye-grass,  etc.  is  of  far  greater  value  than  the  expens- 
ive fertilizers  of  which  ordinary  use  is  made. 

We  think  it  of  value  to  our  readers  to  give  in  this,  the  concluding 
chapter  of  our  book,  the  following  account  of  the  proceedings  at  a 
late  meeting  of  The  American  Pomological  Society.  The  subjects 
discussed  are  of  vital  value  to  horticulturists  and  the  information 
given  upon  them  cannot  be  found  elsewhere.  The  report  was  made 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  215 

for  the  Press  of  Philadelphia,  by  that  able  journalist,  Mr.  Chas.  A 
Green,  Editor  of  The  Fruit  Grower,  published  in  Rochester,  N.  Y., 
and  we  deem  the  subject  matter  of  it  as  correlative  with  our  new 
agriculture. 

"  The  success  of  the  twentieth  annual  meeting  of  the  American 
Pomological  Society  recently  held  at  Grand  Eapids,  Mich.  was. 
largely  owing  to  the  efforts  of  President  Marshall  P.  Wilder,  one 
of  the  best  men  ever  engaged  in  the  work;  to  acting  President  Pat- 
rick Barry,  Prof.  W.  J.  Beal,  Charles  W.  Garfield,  E.  H.  Scott  and 
other  prominent  Michigan  men. 

"  President  Wilder  in  his  address  glanced  at  the  thirty-seven 
years  in  which  the  society  had  worked.  Long  may  it  live  on  prosper 
ing,  and  to  prosper  while  the  earth  bears  fruit  and  man  lives  to  cul- 
tivate it.  This  society  is  performing  an  immense  amount  of  la- 
bor in  correcting  errors.  There  is  a  wonderful  contrast  between 
the  early  condition  of  pomology  and  that  of  the  present  day.  The 
future  work  will  be  continuous,  and  of  vital  importance.  Press  on 
the  good  work,  and  when  you  are  gone  others  will  rise  to  take 
your  places. 

"  Mr.  Angel  reported  that  Michigan  produces  five  million  bush- 
els of  large  fruits  annually,  and  that  the  prospects  for  the  future 
are  more  promising.  In  the  discussion  of  new  fruits,  the  yellow 
transparent  apple  was  spoken  of  by  Mr.  Gideon  as  about  as  hardy  as 
the  Oldenburg,  which  had  suffered  the  past  year,  when  the  thermom- 
eter fell  to  forty-nine  degrees  below  zero.  The  apple  is  of  good  qual- 
ity and  twelve  days  earlier  than  the  Red  Astrachan.  It  bears  young 
and  is  of  uniform  size.  It  has  a  tendency  to  crack  when  over-ripe. 
It  originated  near  St.  Petersburg,  Russia.  The  Shannon  apple, 
which  took  the  first  premium  at  the  World's  Exposition  at  New  Or- 
leans, is  a  seedling  from  Arkansas.  It  is  profitable  in  the  North 
and  West,  is  a  large,  showy  fruit,  but  not  of  first  quality.  Mr.  Gid- 


21 G  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

eon  considers  the  Oldenburg  as  hardy  as  any  except  the  crabs.  He 
had  found  nothing  but  the  crabs  that  would  endure  the  past  win- 
ter, which  was  the  most  severe  of  any  that  they  had  experienced. 

"  Professor  Bessey  of  Nebraska  gave  an  illustrated  lecture  on  In- 
jurious Fungi.  While  most  people  look  out  upon  the  fields  of 
grass,  vegetables  and  fruits,  considering  that  these  cover  the  ex- 
tent of  plant  life,  Professor  Bessey  tells  us  that  there  is  another 
race  of  plants  often  too  small  to  be  discovered  by  the  naked  eye, 
one  differing  from  another,  and  each  having  as  remarkable  pecu- 
liarities, as  the  plants  that  are  visible  in  our  fields.  This  great  race 
of  plants,  called  Fungi,  should  be  better  understood  by  practical 
men  and  women,  as  it  has  much  to  do  with  the  health  of  plants, 
trees  and  human  beings.  Forest  trees  four  hundred  feet  in  height 
differ  from  the  particles  of  moss  that  thrive  upon  their  trunks  no 
more  than  one  species  of  fungi  differs  from  another  in  size.  We 
often  hear  the  remark  made  that  certain  disorders  are  caused  by 
fungus  growth.  This  would  be  something  like  stating  that  apples 
belong  to  the  vegetable  kingdom.  It  would  scarcely  mean  any- 
thing, for  there  are  as  many  kinds  of  fungus  growth  as  of  other 
plants,  and  each  one  has  its  peculiarities.  The  puff  ball  is  referred 
to  as  one  of  the  largest  fungi.  Fungi  is  divided  into  three  classes 
— parasite,  saprophytes  and  parasite-saprophytes.  The  parasites 
feed  only  upon  living  tissues,  and  the  saprophytes  feed  only  on 
dead  matter,  while  the  parasite-saprophytes  are  more  greedy,  and 
feed  upon  both  living  and  dead  matter,  attacking  more  largely  lan- 
guishing tissues. 

"William  Saunders  remarked  that  scientific  men  were  for  a  long 
time  puzzled  to  know  whether  bacteria  belonged  to  the  animal  or 
vegetable  kingdom.  Professor  Bessey  treated  them  as  plants.  If 
an  apple  was  magnified  as  we  magnify  bacteria  under  our  best 
glasses,  it  would  appear  to  be  two  and  one-half  miles  in  diameter. 


THE    NEW   AGRICULTUEE.  217 

The  body  of  a  man  cut  up  into  pieces,  each  of  which  was  as  small 
as  a  bacteria,  and  each  piece  placed  before  the  other,  would  create  a 
line  of  atoms  of  flesh  one  hundred  and  ninety  million  miles  long,  or 
long  enough  to  pass  around  the  earth  six  and  one-half  thousand 
times.  This  illustration  will  enable  the  reader  to  get  an  idea  of 
the  minuteness  of  these  small  plants,  which  may  be  floating  in  the 
air  we  breathe  by  the  millions  and  yet  not  be  observed.  Bacteria 
reproduce  themselves  with  wonderful  rapidity.  They  withdraw  a 
portion  of  the  constituents  of  the  vital  part  they  attack,  and  there- 
by cause  an  enfeebled  condition  and  ultimate  destruction.  There 
are  many  kinds  of  bacteria,  each  of  which  appears  to  have  an  im- 
portant work  in  the  economy  of  nature.  It  is  wonderful  to  think 
that  the  Almighty  brings  about  remarkable  results  from  such  in- 
finitisimal  creations.  When  the  bodies  of  animals,  plants  and  fruits 
have  ceased  to  be  of  further  use,  it  is  desirable  that  they  should  be 
transformed  into  a  condition  where  they  may  be  absorbed  and  used 
in  the  construction  of  other  forms.  Bacteria  seem  to  have  been 
created  largely  for  this  work.  Thus  they  assist  to  transform  fallen 
logs  into  vegetable  mould,  and  defunct  animals  and  fruit  into  food 
supplies  for  other  organisms.  No  doors  or  windows  are  close 
enough  to  keep  out  bacteria.  Wherever  the  air  can  enter  they 
can  enter  also. 

"  Professor  Arthur,  of  the  New  Jersey  Experimental  Station,  spoke 
of  his  experiments  with  pear  blight.  While  Professor  Burrill  has 
previously  claimed  that  pear  blight  was  caused  by  bacteria,  some 
of  our  most  practical  men  throughout  the  country,  like  President 
Barry,  of  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  and  others,  have  had  serious  doubts 
whether  blight  might  not  be  the  result  rather  than  the  cause. 
Professor  Arthur's  experiments  have  cleared  up  all  doubts  on  this 
question.  We  know  now  the  true  cause  of  pear  blight,  and  are  in 
a  much  better  condition  to  fight  it  than  ever  before.  It  is  difficult 


218  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

to  carry  on  warfare  with  an  enemy  that  you  know  nothing  of, 
and  of  whose  identity  you  are  uncertain,  but  once  have  him  cor- 
nered as  we  now  have  the  enemy  of  the  pear,  we  shall  no  longer 
fear  him.  Our  space  will  not  permit  giving  a  full  description  of 
Professor  Arthur's  thorough  investigation.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  it 
was  thoroughly  convincing.  He  has  found  that  bacteria  can  be  con- 
veyed to  the  pear  only  when  the  young  wood  is  exceedingly  "soft, 
and  never  through  old  wood,  or  that  which  has  become  hardened, 
except  it  be  through  the  young  and  immature  twigs.  Thus  the 
bacteria  may  be  conveyed  to  the  older  wood  only  through  the  bac- 
teria that  enters  the  tender  wood.  The  bacteria  enters  the  trees 
in  July,  and  hardly  ever  in  August  or  later.  The  bark  of  the 
branch  attacked  may  be  destroyed  several  weeks  before  the  leaves 
turn  black,  as  the  leaves  are  sustained  by  the  wrood  of  the  branch. 
Usually  the  leaves  turn  black  suddenly  during  a  hot  day.  This  is 
the  first  notice  the  orchardist  has  of  disease,  but  really  the  damage 
has  been  done  weeks  before.  Bacteria  do  not  enter  the  branches 
by  contact  of  diseased  branches  with  healthy  ones,  neither  are 
they  conveyed  by  the  pruning  knife.  The  bacteria  gain  entrance 
to  the  trees  through  the  young  and  tender  wood,  through  the  blos- 
soms, or  through  the  fruits  in  rains,  or  conveyed  by  the  winds, 
Also  possibly  by  evaporation  of  moisture  from  the  soil  in  which 
they  have  been  multiplied.  Bacteria  progress  through  the  limbs 
more  rapidly  in  the  warmest  weather.  They  are  not  killed 
by  the  cold,  but  are  unable  to  make  such  fast  progress  during 
winter.  Those  in  the'  affected  branches  work  slowly  all  winter,  but 
perish  about  the  time  the  trees  leave  out  in  the  spring.  Germs  for 
inoculating  bacteria  were  secured  by  cutting  pieces  of  blighted 
wood  and  placing  them  in  water,  or  fluid  produced  by  boiling  corn 
meal  in  water,  or  hay  tea.  Soon  the  liquid  was  filled  with  the 
germs.  A  few  of  these  inserted  in  the  tender  wood  caused  dis- 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  219 

ease  in  a  short  time.  The  germs  in  a  diseased  tree  escape  to  the 
surface  in  a  sticky  substance  ;  they  are  washed  free  of  the  gum  by 
the  rain,  dropping  to  the  ground,  multiply  in  decaying  substances 
beneath  the  trees,  or  in  wet  places  near  by.  Here  they  pass  the  win- 
ter, and  may  live  for  several  years.  They  are  borne  in  the  air  when 
dry  by  the  wind,  being  so  extremely  minute  that  they  may  be  thus 
borne  and  carried  great  distances,  coming  in  contact  with  the  ten- 
der twigs,  or  the  centre  of  flowers,  and  finally  into  the  tree,  produc- 
ing disease.  Professor  Arthur  found  that  although  he  experi- 
mented with  many  kinds  of  bacteria  germs,  only  those  found  in 
blighted  pear  trees  caused  blight. 

"Professor  Lazenby  reports  experiments  showing  that  soil 
mulched  with  straw  is  invariably  lower  in  temperature  than  ground 
unmulched,  teaching  that  it  was  not  desirable  to  mulch  strawber- 
ries where  late  spring  frosts  were  prevalent,  as  strawberries  mulch- 
ed would  be  injured  more  by  the  frost  than  those  unmulched.  The 
only  method  by  which  mulching  would  be  valuable  in  preventing 
damage  by  late  spring  frosts  is  by  keeping  the  mulch  above  the 
plants  and  not  permit  the  blossoms  to  be  exposed  until  the  danger 
of  frost  is  past. 

"  Mr.  Pierce  of  Ohio  said  that  there  were  thousands  who  did  not 
know  the  delights  of  growing  the  finest  flowers  and  fruits.  Enlist 
your  wife  and  children  in  your  work,  says  Charles  W.  Garfield. 

"  Mr.  Lyon  considered  that  brevity  is  always  desirable  for  names 
of  new  fruits.  The  name  of  the  originator  or  introducer  would 
rarely  be  found  inappropriate,  or  the  name  of  the  place  where  the 
variety  originated,  and  either  will  generally  possess  the  advantage 
of  requiring  but  a  single  word.  "While  the  wish  to  add  a  charac- 
teristic word,  designed  to  convey  an  impression  of  superiority, 
causes  the  name  to  be  cumbersome,  it  does  not  aid  in  distinguish- 
ing the  variety. 


220  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

"  Professor  Lazeuby  gave  the  result  of  experiments  with  the  ef- 
fects of  pollen  on  the  strawberry.  He  showed  that  in  some  sea- 
sons pistillate  strawberries  are  influenced  by  the  pollen  of  the  varieties 
applied.  A.  J.  Fuller  concurred  in  this  opinion,  and  the  question 
was  nearly  decided  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  present,  that  it  was 
possible  to  affect  the  flavor,  size  and  form  of  the  strawberry  by  the 
application  of  pollen  to  the  pistillate  varieties.  Yet  it  was  not 
claimed  that  the  effect  would  be  noticeable  to  the  casual  observer 
in  all  cases,  or  might  not  be  of  sufficient  importance  to  be  adopted 
by  the  market  grower.  Mr.  Lazenby  found  that  the  Crescent 
strawberry,  growing  alone  under  a  glass,  would  produce  no  berries 
when  not  fertilized. 

"  Professor  A.  J.  Cook,  of  Michigan,  delivered  an  illustrated  lec- 
ture on  Economic  Etornology.  It  is  known  that  the  damage 
done  by  insects  last  year  was  two  millions  of  dollars,  and  the  un- 
known damage  was  probably  as  much  more.  The  number  of 
species  of  destructive  insects  is  increasing  every  year,  and  the  war- 
ing against  them  has  become  more  important.  Many  of  these  in- 
sects are  formidable  for  the  reason  that  they  have  no  bird  foes  in 
this  country.  An  insect  changes  its  taste  and  habits,  often  leaving 
one  plant  and  attacking  another.  A  few  years  ago  California  was 
free  from  injurious  insects,  but  now  it  is  thoroughly  infested.  In- 
sects have  foes  that  often  suppress  their  depredations.  A  know- 
ledge of  these  foes  is  absolutely  necessary  to  the  farmer  and  fruit 
grower,  also  B.  knowledge  of  the  habits  and  life  of  insects.  Im- 
ported insects  are  far  more  injurious  than  our  native  ones.  They 
seem  to  take  a  new  lease  of  life  in  this  country,  and  are  more  fero- 
cious and  persistent  in  their  efforts. 

"  One  half  pound  of  London  purple  to  a  barrel  of  water,  or  a 
spoonful  of  Paris  green  to  a  barrel  of  water,  is  recommended  for 
spraying  trees  at  the  time  when  the  blossoms  are  about  to  fall,  to 


THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE.  221 

destroy  the  canker  worm,  codling  moth  and  numerous  other  in- 
sects that  are  liable  to  do  injury.  This  application  could  be  made 
at  an  expense  of  from  three  to  five  cents  per  tree,  and  should  be 
applied  whether  there  is  canker  worm  in  the  orchard  or  not.  The 
canker  worm  is  becoming  far  more  prevalent  each  year  throughout 
the  country.  As  the  codling  moth  should  be  treated  to  the  poison 
even  in  the  absence  of  the  canker  worm,  it  will  be  seen  that  there 
is  no  excuse  for  permitting  the  canker  worm  to  defoliate  the  trees." 

As  we  referred  in  a  former  chapter  to  the  statement  of  Professor 
Roberts  to  us  that  clover  roots  had  been  traced  to  a  depth  of 
eighteen  feet,  the  following  communication  sent  by  him  to  Mr. 
Chas.  A.  Green,  Editor  of  that  admirable  monthly,  The  Fruit 
Grower,  will  be  of  interest ; 

AGRICULTURAL  DEPARTMENT,  CORNELL  UNIVERSITY. 

ITHACA,  N.  Y.,  July  30,  1885. 
Mr.  Charles  A.  Green: 

DEAR  SIR  : — The  Tribune  of  July  14,  containing  an  article  on 
"  The  New  Agriculture  "  is  received.  In  it  you  say  that  Mr.  Cole 
says  that  "  Professor  Roberts  of  Ithaca  has  told  him  that  he  has 
traced  red  clover  roots  to  a  depth  of  eighteen  feet  that  were 
growing  in  a  bed  of  gravel  overlaying  water."  Mr.  Cole  must 
have  misunderstood  me,  as  it  was  corn  roots  not  clover  roots  that  I 
was  speaking  of  to  him  when  I  visited  his  place  the  week  before 
you  were  there.  I  have  a  clover  root  preserved  in  our  museum 
two  feet  nine  inches  long,  which  was  taken  from  the  borders  of  a 
nearby  cellar.  The  roots  of  this  plant,  which  was  one  year  old, 
were  nearly  traced  to  the  depth  of  the  cellar — four  feet — but  they 
were  so  delicate  that  it  was  impossible  to  preserve  their  entire 
length. 

At  the  Iowa  Agricultural  College  the  railroad  company  under- 
mined a  portion  of  the  corn  field  in  August,  1873,  to  get  gravel 


222  THE   NEW   AGRICULTURE. 

with  which  to  ballast  their  road.  Here  I  took  great  delight  in 
studjing  corn  roots.  They  were  large  enough  to  preserve  at  a 
depth  of  eight,  but  where  the  ground  began  to  be  moist  from  the 
water  beneath,  by  careful  digging  they  could  be  traced  from  two 
to  four  feet  farther,  where  they  reached  perennial  water. 

As  to  the  "  New  Agriculture  "  with  pick  and  shovel,  I  most  care- 
fully examined  the  land  treated  by  Mr.  Cole,  and  also  that  adjoin- 
ing which  was  not  treated,  and  I  expect  in  the  near  future  to  give  some 
facts  and  my  conclusions  to  the  public. 

Very  respectfully  yours, 

L  P.  ROBERTS. 

We  are  growing  old  and  anxious  lest  we  die  and  see  not  in  the 
flesh  the  fruits  of  our  life-work — a  half  century  spent  in  pursuit  of 
the  waters. 

We  want  to  see  the  tile  manufacturers  so  conforming  their  wares 
as  to  conserve  instead  of  wasting  the  waters. 

We  want  to  see  the  inventor  at  work  giving  the  farmer  a  trench- 
ing machine  which  will  do  more  subsoiling  in  a  day  than  an  hun- 
dred of  the  best  plowmen  can  do  now  in  a  month  with  the  most 
efficient  implements,  and  doing  it  in  a  way  which,  once  done,  will 
not  need  to  be  done  again. 

We  want  to  see  an  end  of  unfermented  and  uncomposted  manures, 
and  an  end  also  of  most  of  the  phosphates  with  which  the  earth 
has  been  hitherto  cursed. 

We  want  to  see  farmers  do  their  own  fertilizing,  avoiding  seeds 
of  fungus  and  fouling  of  lands  by  sowing  inoculations  of  noxous 
plants  and  weeds. 

In  this  latter  connection  it  has  occurred  to  us  that  the  transpor- 
tation from  West  to  East  of  alkaline  deposits,  might  be  found  pro- 
fitable to  both  sections.  The  transit  is  made  easy  by  means  of  our 
railroad  system,  so  gridironing  the  country  as  to  make  interchange 


THE  NEW   AGRICULTURE.  223 

and  admixture  of  soils  less  expensive  than  the  use  of  phosphates 
The  wonderful  salt  discoveries  of  the  "Wyoming  Valley,  making  the 
use  of  brine  and  refuse  salt  for  manure  so  inexpensive  as  to  place 
them  within  reach  of  every  farmer  and  gardener,  is  second  only  in 
importance  to  the  discovery  and  development  of  petroleum  and 
natural  gas.  These  latter  are  already  transported  long  distances 
through  pipes,  and  we  see  no  reason  why  alkaline  and  saline  li- 
quids may  not  be  equally  diffused  by  gravitation  and  made  ta 
reach  all  portions  of  our  country. 

In  conclusion  permit  us  to  repeat  our  belief  that  an  universal 
.system  of  trenching  will  be  adopted  at  an  early  day.  We  have 
proven  that  it  is  practical  and  profitable.  We  believe  also  that  be- 
yond in  value  of  all  present  methods  of  fertilization,  is  that  feature 
of  "  The  New  Agriculture  "  which  extracts  the  solids  from  the  wa- 
ters furnishing  food  and  inspiration  to  plant  growth  and  fruition. 

After  reading  these  pages,  indulgent  reader,  you  fail  to  be  con- 
vinced of  the  incalculable  value  of  our  system,  or  do  not  fully  com- 
prehend its  details,  we  cordially  invite  you  to  come  and  see  for 
yourself.  The  latchstring  of  our  "  Home  on  the  Hillside  "  is  hung 
on  the  outside  of  the  door.  A.  N.  COLE. 

WELLSVILLE,  ALLEQANY  Co.,  N.  Y. 


BUSINESS  ANNOUNCEMENT. 

A  General  Agent  having  been  appointed  for  the  United 
States  of  America,  in  the  person  of  Theodore  L.  Minier,  of 
Elmira,  N.  Y.,  all  parties  desiring  information  touching 
matters  relating  to  business  in  connection  with  The  New 
Agriculture,  will  address  their  communications  to  the  Gen- 
eral Agent. 

State,  Territorial,  County  and  District  Agencies  will  from 
time  to  time  be  created,  and  liberal  commissions  allowed  to 
agents.  Applications  for  agencies  will  be  made  to  the  Gen- 
eral Agent,  at  Elmira,  N.  Y. 


ON  WEDNESDAY.  JANUARY,  6th,  1886, 

A  weekly  journal  will  be  issued  under  the  title  of 

THE  GENESEE  VALLEY  FREE  PRESS  AND  NEW  AGRICULTURE, 

from  the  office  of  the  "Daily  Free  Presn,"  at  \Vellsville,  Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y. 

Tho  Editorial  Department  of  the  paper  will  be  patriotic  rather  than  partisan.  In 
upholding  the  Union  and  the  Constitution  it  will  know  no  North,  no  South,  no  East, 
no  West. 

Fully  one-half  of  the  paper  will  be  devoted  to  Agriculture  and  Horticulture  gen- 
erally, and  "The  New  Agriculture  "  in  particular.  I  propose  to  edit  the  paper,  and 
hold  myself  obligated  to  answer  all  questions  that  my  correspondents  may  ask. 

The  paper  will  be  a  handsome  quarto,  and  issued  to  subscril  ers  at  $2.00  per  an- 
num in  advance. 

A.  N.  COLE, 
Wellsville,  Allegany  County,  N.  Y. 


The  American  Angler. 


THE   FISHERMAN'S  PAPER— THE  OHLY  ONE  IK  AMERICA. 


THE  AMERICAN  ANGLER  is  published  every  Saturday,  and  each  number  con- 
tains essays  on  Fish,  Fishing  and  Fish  Culture,  Notes  aiid  Queries  relative  to  fishing 
and  fish  life,  and  practical  illustrations  of  the  methods  aud  tackle  used  in  angling. 
Drawings  of  seventy-five  representative  fish  of  America  have  already  appeared  in  THE 
\vii.rn,  which  is  the  only  x>aper  published  in  America  devoted  solely  to  Fish, 
Fishing  and  Fish  Culture.  Mr.  Seth  Green,  the  veteran  1'ish  Culturist  of  America, 
has  editorial  charge  of  the  Fish  Culture  Department  of  the  paper. 


Subscription  per  annum ...  $3  no 

Single  copies 1" 

Back  numbers  of  the  paper  can  be  had  on  application  at  10  cents  each,  except 
those  issued  between  the  dates  of  October  15,  18S1,  and  June  30,  1882,  for  which  u 
charge  of  26  cento  each  will  be  made.  Specimen  copies  will  be  sent  on  application. 

Address 

THE  AMERICAN  ANGLER, 
Offices:  252  Broadway,  New  York. 


THE  FISHES  OF  THE  EAST  ATLANTIC  COAST, 


THAT  ABE 


CAUGHT  WITH  HOOK  AND  LINE, 


INCLUDING  THE 


FISHES  of  the  EAST  COAST  of  FLORIDA. 


By  Louis  0,  Van  Doren  and  Samuel  G,  Clarke, 


Tbia  is  a  practical  text  book  on  the  salt  water  fishes  that  are  found  on  the  Atlan- 
tic coast  from  Northern  Maine  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  No  other  work  now  in  print 
covers  this  field,  and  none  has  been  published  on  this  subject  for  the  last  quarter 
of  a  century.  Messrs.  Van  Doren  and  Clarke  give  the  scientific  and  popular  de- 
scriptions, habits,  habitat,  WHEN,  WHERE  and  HOW  to  catch  them,  of  forty-two 
fishes  that  are  caught  with  hook  and  line  along  the  eastern  coast  of  America.  The 
illustrations  are  numerous  and  are  photo-likenesses  of  the  fish  represented.  They 
consist  of  the  following  : 


THE  STRIPED  BASS. 

THE  BLUEFISH. 

THE  WEAKFISH. 

THE  SHEEPSHEAD. 

THE  KINGFISH. 

THE  BONITO. 

THE  BLACK  DHUM. 

THE  SPANISH  MACKEREL. 

THE  MENHADEN. 

THE  LAFAYETTE,  OR.SPOT. 

THE  SHAD. 

THE  TARPUM. 

THE  CHANNEL  BASS. 


THE  BLACKFISH. 

THE  FLOUNDER. 

THE  SEA  BASS. 

THE  BERGALL. 

THE  TOMCOD. 

THE  CODFISH. 

THE  HADDOCK. 

THE  SALT  WATER  TROUT. 

THE  BED  GROUPER. 

THE  POMPANO. 

THE  MANGEOVE  SNAPPER. 

THE  LADY  FISH. 

THE  SALT  WATEB  CAT  FISH  . 


THE  HOGFISH,  THE  WHITE,  OB  SILVER  MULLET. 

CLOTH,  I6MO.    PRICE,  POST-PAID,    $1.50 
Address 

THE  AMERICAN  ANGLEB, 

252  Broadway,   New  York. 


PORTRAITSof  FISHES. 


At  the  request  of  many  of  our  readers,  we  have  struck  off  on  fine  gray  tinted 
Bristol  board,  7x11  inches  each,  a  few  copies  of  the  following  mimed  fishes.  They 
are  sixty  in  number;  twenty-three  are  engravings  of  those  killed  in  fresh  wftter. 
and  thirty-seven  in  salt  water.  These  fish  portraits  have  been  printed  with  much 
care,  and  will  be  of  interest  and  service  to  those  who  wish  to  preserve  them  either 
framed  or  in  a  portfolio.  We  will  mail  them,  postage  paid,  at  the  following 
prices. 

The  Fresh  Water  Series,  (23  in  number),  for  $2.0(1. 
The  Salt  Water  Series,  (37  in  number),  for  $3.50. 
The  entire  series,  (60  in  number),  for  $5.00. 
Single  copies,  ten  cents. 

THE  FRESH  WATER  SERIES. 

The  Small-Mouthed  Black  BasH.  The  Mascalonge. 

The  Large-Mouthed  Black  Bass.  The  Yellow  Perch. 

The  Brook  Trout.  The  Whiteflnh. 

The  Grayling.  The  Fresh  Water  Striped  Bass. 

The  California  Mountain  Trout.  The  White  Perch. 

The  California  Salmon.  The  Bisby  Trout. 

The  Pike  Perch.  The  Shad. 

The  Land-Locked  Salmon.  The  Lake  Herring. 

The  Sea  Salmon.  The  Bream. 

The  Pike.  The  Strawberry  Baa* 

The  Lake  Lawyer.  The  Rock  Ban*. 

The  Salmon  Trout. 

THE  SALT  WATER  SERIES. 

The  Striped  BIU>R.  The  Menhaden 

The  Blue  Fish.  The  Codfish. 

The  Sheepwhcad.  The  Tarpum. 

The  Channel  Bass.  The  Mangrove  Snapper. 

The  Pompano.  The  Haddock. 

The  R*d  Grouper.  The  Butterfish. 

The  Lady  FiHU.  The  Smelt. 

The  Spanish  Mackerel.  The  Black  Drum 

The  Halt  Water  Trout,  Florida.  The  Squid. 

The  Weakflsh.  The  Codling. 

TheBonito.  The  Unicorn  Fish. 

TheKingflsb.  The  Moon  Fish. 

The  Sea  Bast".  The  Spotted  Turbot. 

The  Red  Snapper.  The  Northern  Krnlpiu. 

The  Blackflsh.  Th«  Bergall. 

The  Porgy.  The  Flounder. 

The  Pilot  Fish.  The  Salt  Water  Cattish.  (iafl-topHail. 

The  Lafayette,  or  Spot.  The  White  Mullet. 

The  Hogflsh. 

A  handsome  Portfolio,  in  half  Russia,  with  bevelled  edges,  and  stamped  in  gilt 
"Fish  Portraits,"  made  especially  to  hold  a  set  of  fishes,  will  be  mailed,  poxta^* 
paid,  on  rec«ipt  of  $1.26. 

Address,  AMERICAN   ANGLER, 

2S2  Broadway,  New  York. 


Fishing  Register. 


On  the  opposite  page  is  given  a  full  page  illustration  (exact  size)  of  this  handy 
score  book.  It  ecu:  ains  a  sufficient  number  of  pages  for  a  season's  record,  and  will 
be  found  indispensable  to  the  angler  who  feels  sufficient  interest  in  his  pastime  to 
derive  pleasure  and  profit  from  his  ptst  achievement*. 

It  is  bound  in  heavy  paper,  price  10  cents,  and  in  limp  cloth  and  gold,  25  c 

AMERICAN  ANGI.EK, 

252  Broadway,  Wew  York. 


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Direction  of  Wu 

TEXT  PAPERS  FOR  ANGLERS. 


The  six  volumes,  handsomely  bound  in  cloth  (after  July  1,  1885, 
seven  vol. ),  of  THE  AMERICAN  ANGLEB,  are  now  ready  for  delivery. 
Price  $3.00  each.  The  demand  for  the  unbound  numbers  of  Volume 
I.  has  so  largely  decreased  our  supply  of  them,  that  we  are  compelled 
to  increase  the  price  of  copies  to  25  cents  each.  New  subscribers,  how- 
over,  who  commence  their  subscriptions  with  the  first  issue  of  the 
paper,  October  1,  1881,  will  bo  supplied  at  the  regular  rate  of  $3.00  u 
year. 

To  assist  our  readers,  who  art,  daily  ordering  back  numbers,  in  the 
selection  of  those  containing  special  treatises  of  practio.il  value  to 
anglers,  we  give  below  a  few  of  the  dates  and  a  partial  list  of  subjects 
contained  in  Volumes  II,  III  and  IV.  They  will  be  sent,  postage 
paid,  on  receipt  of  ten  cents  for  each  copy. 

What  is  a  Pike?  What  is  a  Pickerel?  Illustrated.  December  10, 
1882. 

A  Sole  Leather  Bait  Box.     Illustrated,  December  23,  '82. 

Striking  and  Playing  a  Fish.     December  30,  '82. 

The  White  Perch.     Illustrated.     December  30,  '82. 

A  Treatise  on  the  Mascalonge — Where,  When  and  How  to  Catch 
Them.  Illustrated.  Con.ained  in  the  issues  of  January  6,  13,  20,  27, 
'83. 

A  Treatise  on  the  Black  Bass — Habitat,  Modes  of  Capture,  etc.  Illus- 
trated. In  issues  of  Februarj  3,  10,  17,  '24,  '83. 

The  Strawberry  Bass.     Illustrated.     February  17,  '83. 

A  Treatise  on  the  Pike  —Habitat,  tackle  used,  etc.  Illustrated.  In 
issues  of  March  3,  10,  17,  24,  '83. 

The  Keel— Its  place  on  the  Rod.     March  24,  April  14,  June  16,  '83. 

The  Atlantic  Salmon.  Scientific  and  Popular  Description — Habitat 
and  capture.  Illustrated.  March  31,  '83. 

Miunows  as  Bait.     Illustrated      April  7,  14,  21,  '83. 

Catching  Flounders.     Illustrated.     April  7,  '83. 

The  Trout  of  Maine  Waters.     April  14,  21,  28,  May  5,  '83. 

The  Trout  Streams  of  the  United  States  and  How  to  Reach  Them. 
April  14,  '83. 

A  Serviceable  Fisliing  Boat — How  "to  Build  it.  Illustrated.  April 
21,  '83. 

Making  a  Split  Bamboo — Amatenr  Work.     April  28,  '83. 

Vurnish  for  Bods.     May  5,  83. 

A  Treatise  on  the  Brook  Trout— Habits,  Habitat  and  Capture.  Il- 
lustrated May  12,  19,  26,  June  2,  '83. 

The  Colorado  Mountain  Trout.     May  12,  '83. 

A  New  Minnow  Pail.     Illustrated.     May  12,  1883. 

The  Striped  Bass —Rock  Fish  — Descrip;  ion,  Modes  of  Capture,  etc. 
Illustrated.  May  26,  June  2,  '83.  ' 

Any  of  the  above  papers  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  ten  cents. 
Address  THE  AMERICAN  ANGLEB, 

252  Broadway,  New  York. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


Ml  2  1 


Form  L9-25m-9,'47(A5618)444 


UC  SOUTHERN.REGIPNAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


S613 
C6?n 


